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type of error? - proteus
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01-24-2008, 07:28 AM
A drug company publishes an original study stating that Drug X does not cause birth defects in pregnant women. Later, it is discovered that Drug X does actually cause birth defects. The original study most likely contained which type of error?
A. Type I error B. Type II error C. (1 “ beta) error D. Delta error E. Kappa error
01-24-2008, 08:23 AM
Whats the difference? Where do I get to read about errors -Behavioural science or biostats??
01-24-2008, 08:34 AM
loooool, bergkamp I just needed to know where does it fall in the USMLE subjects
 Thanks for hint!!
01-24-2008, 08:35 AM
for berg and mysam, here is the answer from smash
Choice (B) is the correct answer. Type II or beta error results from failure to reject the null hypothesis when the null hypothesis is actually false. In other words, the null hypothesis is accepted for reality when indeed the null hypothesis is incorrect. The null hypothesis is the hypothesis that states there is no association between a risk factor and a particular disease or condition. In the drug company study, the null hypothesis states that there is no association between Drug X and birth defects in pregnant women. The alternative hypothesis states that there is an association between Drug X and birth defects. As stated above, type II error involves the failure to reject the null hypothesis when the null hypothesis is false. Failure to reject is the same as accepting: the null hypothesis is accepted although it is false. In other words, the hypothesis that Drug A does not cause birth defects is accepted even though in reality Drug A does cause birth defects. Type I error (Choice A) is known as alpha error and results from rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true. Rejecting the null hypothesis is same as accepting the alternative hypothesis. Concluding that Drug X is not safe when it really is would be considered type I error. (1 - beta) (Choice C) is known as power. Delta error (Choice D) and kappa error (Choice E) are distractors |
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