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 201
- Downloads 0
Novel circulating- and imaging-based biomarkers to enhance the mechanistic understanding of human drug-induced liver injury
Liver safety biomarkers in current clinical practice are recognized to have certain shortcomings including their representation of general cell death and thus lacking in indicating the specific underlying mechanisms of i...
The rush to novelty and high expectations in surgery: the case of ALPPS
In the editorial that accompanied the publication of the inaugural ALPPS paper (associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy), ALPPS was termed “the biggest technical innovation in liver su...
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...
Prevalence, morphological variation and ossification of sesamoid bones of the forefoot: a retrospective radiographic study of 8,716 Chinese subjects
Background and Aim: Previous studies provided evidence of a genetic basis for the occurrence of sesamoids bone in the foot among different ethnic populations. However, information for the Chinese population has not been...
Racial and ethnic disparities in surgical amputations following serious musculoskeletal infections in a diverse New Mexico cohort
Background: Patients with serious musculoskeletal infections may encounter health disparities across multiple phases of prevention and treatment, including surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to identify...