Abstract
The statistical conclusion validity of mental retardation research was evaluated by reviewing 41 recently published articles in the American Journal on Mental Retardation and the Journal of Mental Deficiency Research. The analysis was focused on the incidence of Type I error as reflected by three different measures: the experiment-wise error rate, the error rate per experiment, and the percentage error rate. Values for each of these measures indicated that the probability of committing a Type I error was considerably greater than the traditionally assumed level of p less than .05, or 5%. The percentage error rate computed for the 41 articles (369 statistical tests) suggested that approximately 20% of the statistically significant results may be erroneous. Procedures to evaluate the impact of Type I errors in mental retardation research were presented and briefly discussed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 421-427 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | American Journal on Mental Retardation |
| Volume | 95 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - 1991 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rehabilitation
- Education
- Health Professions(all)
Cite this
Statistical conclusion validity : An empirical analysis of multiplicity in mental retardation research. / Ottenbacher, Kenneth.
In: American Journal on Mental Retardation, Vol. 95, No. 4, 1991, p. 421-427.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Statistical conclusion validity
T2 - An empirical analysis of multiplicity in mental retardation research
AU - Ottenbacher, Kenneth
PY - 1991
Y1 - 1991
N2 - The statistical conclusion validity of mental retardation research was evaluated by reviewing 41 recently published articles in the American Journal on Mental Retardation and the Journal of Mental Deficiency Research. The analysis was focused on the incidence of Type I error as reflected by three different measures: the experiment-wise error rate, the error rate per experiment, and the percentage error rate. Values for each of these measures indicated that the probability of committing a Type I error was considerably greater than the traditionally assumed level of p less than .05, or 5%. The percentage error rate computed for the 41 articles (369 statistical tests) suggested that approximately 20% of the statistically significant results may be erroneous. Procedures to evaluate the impact of Type I errors in mental retardation research were presented and briefly discussed.
AB - The statistical conclusion validity of mental retardation research was evaluated by reviewing 41 recently published articles in the American Journal on Mental Retardation and the Journal of Mental Deficiency Research. The analysis was focused on the incidence of Type I error as reflected by three different measures: the experiment-wise error rate, the error rate per experiment, and the percentage error rate. Values for each of these measures indicated that the probability of committing a Type I error was considerably greater than the traditionally assumed level of p less than .05, or 5%. The percentage error rate computed for the 41 articles (369 statistical tests) suggested that approximately 20% of the statistically significant results may be erroneous. Procedures to evaluate the impact of Type I errors in mental retardation research were presented and briefly discussed.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0026027279&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 2003911
AN - SCOPUS:0026027279
VL - 95
SP - 421
EP - 427
JO - American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
JF - American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
SN - 1944-7515
IS - 4
ER -