Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: August 1, 2017
Overlapping confidence intervals or standard error intervals: what do they mean in terms of statistical significance?
Mark E Payton1, Matthew H Greenstone, Nathaniel Schenker
1Department of Statistics, Oklahoma State University, 301 MSCS Building, Stillwater, OK 74078-1056, USA. mpayton@okstate.edu
Abstract:
We investigate the procedure of checking for overlap between confidence intervals or standard error intervals to draw conclusions regarding hypotheses about differences between population parameters. Mathematical expressions and algebraic manipulations are given, and computer simulations are performed to assess the usefulness of confidence and standard error intervals in this manner. We make recommendations for their use in situations in which standard tests of hypotheses do not exist. An example is given that tests this methodology for comparing effective dose levels in independent probit regressions, an application that is also pertinent to derivations of LC50s for insect pathogens and of detectability half-lives for prey proteins or DNA sequences in predator gut analysis.
Related Concept Videos
Interpretation of Confidence Intervals
Confidence intervals have confidence coefficients that are crucial for their interpretation. The most common confidence coefficients are 0.90, 0.95, and 0.99, which can be written as percentages–90%, 95%, and 99%, respectively.
Suppose a person calculates a confidence interval with a confidence coefficient of 0.95. In that case, they can...
Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals
Confidence Intervals
A confidence...
Confidence Coefficient
Finding Critical Values for Chi-Square
Confidence Interval for Estimating Population Mean
A confidence interval for the mean is a range of values that provides an estimate of the population mean. As the...

