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Fact or fiction: reducing the proportion and impact of false positives.

Author
Abstract
:

False positive findings in science are inevitable, but are they particularly common in psychology and psychiatry? The evidence that we review suggests that while not restricted to our field, the problem is acute. We describe the concept of researcher 'degrees-of-freedom' to explain how many false-positive findings arise, and how the various strategies of registration, pre-specification, and reporting standards that are being adopted both reduce and make these visible. We review possible benefits and harms of proposed statistical solutions, from tougher requirements for significance, to Bayesian and machine learning approaches to analysis. Finally we consider the organisation and methods for replication and systematic review in psychology and psychiatry.

Year of Publication
:
2018
Journal
:
Psychological medicine
Volume
:
48
Issue
:
7
Number of Pages
:
1084-1091
ISSN Number
:
0033-2917
URL
:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S003329171700294X/type/journal_article
DOI
:
10.1017/S003329171700294X
Short Title
:
Psychol Med
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