Making 'null effects' informative: statistical techniques and inferential frameworks
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical and Translational Research - Year 2018, Vol 3, Issue 2
Abstract
Being able to interpret ‘null effects’ is important for cumulative knowledge generation in science. To draw informative conclusions from null-effects, researchers need to move beyond the incorrect interpretation of a non-significant result in a null-hypothesis significance test as evidence of the absence of an effect. We explain how to statistically evaluate null-results using equivalence tests, Bayesian estimation, and Bayes factors. A worked example demonstrates how to apply these statistical tools and interpret the results. Finally, we explain how no statistical approach can actually prove that the null-hypothesis is true, and briefly discuss the philosophical differences between statistical approaches to examine null-effects. The increasing availability of easy-to-use software and online tools to perform equivalence tests, Bayesian estimation, and calculate Bayes factors make it timely and feasible to complement or move beyond traditional null-hypothesis tests, and allow researchers to draw more informative conclusions about null-effects. Relevance for patients: Conclusions based on clinical trial data often focus on demonstrating differences due to treatments, despite demonstrating the absence of differences is an equally important statistical question. Researchers commonly conclude the absence of an effect based on the incorrect use of traditional methods. By providing an accessible overview of different approaches to exploring null-results, we hope researchers improve their statistical inferences. This should lead to a more accurate interpretation of studies, and facilitate knowledge generation about proposed treatments.
Authors and Affiliations
Christopher Harms, Daniël Lakens
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP678760
- DOI -
- Views 172
- Downloads 0
Mitochondrial dysfunction as a mechanism of drug-induced hepatotoxicity: current understanding and future perspectives
Mitochondria are critical cellular organelles for energy generation and are now also recognized as playing important roles in cellular signaling. Their central role in energy metabolism, as well as their high abundance i...
A double-blind, randomized trial on the effect of a broad-spectrum dietary supplement on key biomarkers of cellular aging including inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage in healthy adults
Background and Aim: Nutritional approaches that ameliorate cellular senescence may have the potential to counteract the effects of chronic disease. This study will investigate the effect of the Healthycell dietary supple...
Survey and critical appraisal of pharmacological agents with potential thermo-modulatory properties in the context of artificially induced hypometabolism
A reduction in body temperature can be achieved by a downward adjustment of the termoneutral zone, a process also described as anapyrexia. Pharmacological induction of anapyrexia could enable numerous applications in med...
FITC-linked Fibrin-Binding Peptide and real-time live confocal microscopy as a novel tool to visualize fibrin(ogen) in coagulation
Background and Aim: Although fibrinogen has been established as a key player in the process of coagulation, many questions about the role of fibrinogen under specific conditions remain. Confocal microscopic assessment of...
Patients to learn from: on the need for systematic integration of research and care in academic health care
Patients suffering from rare, extreme or extremely complex sets of symptoms have something to expect from efforts to improve care through research. Biomedical research and care have often been approached as distinct worl...