Setting an optimal α that minimizes errors in null hypothesis significance tests.

ABSTRACT: Null hypothesis significance testing has been under attack in recent years, partly owing to the arbitrary nature of setting α (the decision-making threshold and probability of Type I error) at a constant value, usually 0.05. If the goal of null hypothesis testing is to present conclusions in which we have the highest possible confidence, then the only logical decision-making threshold is the value that minimizes the probability (or occasionally, cost) of making errors. Setting α to minimize the combination of Type I and Type II error at a critical effect size can easily be accomplished for traditional statistical tests by calculating the α associated with the minimum average of α and β at the critical effect size. This technique also has the flexibility to incorporate prior probabilities o

SUBMITTER: Mudge JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3289673 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature