Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Two cheers for P-values?

S Senn1

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK.

Journal of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
|July 4, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

P-values are widely used in science but heavily criticized. This essay explores potential justifications for their continued use despite significant statistical drawbacks.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Prevalence of humeral head osteochondrosis in the Greater Swiss Mountain dog and the Border Collie in Switzerland.

Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde·2016
Same author

A 4-year trial of tiotropium in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (UPLIFT trial).

Revista portuguesa de pneumologia·2015
Same author

Statisticians and pharmacokineticists: what they can still learn from each other.

Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics·2010
Same author

Ethical considerations concerning treatment allocation in drug development trials.

Statistical methods in medical research·2002
Same author

Actions other than smooth muscle relaxation may play a role in the protective effects of formoterol on the allergen-induced late asthmatic reaction.

Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics·2002
Same author

Screening for breast cancer with mammography.

Lancet (London, England)·2002
Same journal

Agreement between general practice prescription data and self-reported use of hormone replacement therapy and treatment for various illnesses.

Journal of epidemiology and biostatistics·2002
Same journal

A piecewise-homogeneous Markov chain process of lung transplantation.

Journal of epidemiology and biostatistics·2002
Same journal

Determining and visualising at-risk groups in case-control data.

Journal of epidemiology and biostatistics·2002
Same journal

Distribution of family history of a disease as a function of mode of inheritance, genetic relative hazard, allele frequency and disease status of the proband, with application to female breast cancer.

Journal of epidemiology and biostatistics·2002
Same journal

Changes and trends in attack distributions and progression of dental caries in three age cohorts in Finland.

Journal of epidemiology and biostatistics·2002
Same journal

A loss-function based approach for dose selection in two-stage dose-response trials.

Journal of epidemiology and biostatistics·2002
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Statistics
  • Scientific Methodology
  • Data Analysis

Background:

  • P-values are a ubiquitous tool in scientific research.
  • Despite widespread adoption, p-values face substantial criticism from statisticians and researchers.
  • Bayesian and modern frequentist approaches often highlight the limitations of p-values.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically examine the role and perceived utility of p-values in scientific practice.
  • To explore arguments that might support the continued use of p-values.
  • To address the dichotomy between the practical application and theoretical shortcomings of p-values.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of statistical practices.
  • Review of common interpretations and criticisms of p-values.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Philosophical consideration of statistical inference.

    • Main Results:

    • P-values represent a practical success in terms of widespread adoption and use.
    • Significant theoretical and interpretive failures are associated with p-values.
    • The essay aims to identify potential, albeit limited, defenses for their use.

    Conclusions:

    • P-values, despite their flaws, have achieved practical success in scientific communication.
    • A critical re-evaluation is needed to understand their enduring presence.
    • Further discussion is warranted on the justification for their continued application in research.