Abuse of statistical packages: the case of the general linear model - PubMed (original) (raw)

Comparative Study

Abuse of statistical packages: the case of the general linear model

C F Hofacker. Am J Physiol. 1983 Sep.

Abstract

Since their introduction in the 1960s, packaged computer programs have freed researchers from much drudgery and painstaking computational labor. Before the distribution of these packages, many meaningful projects could not be attempted, simply because the data analysis phase would have been too labor intensive. However, the very ease of use of these packages can lead to their abuse. In particular, performing all possible t tests among numerous groups, calculating many correlations and circling the ones with P values less than 0.05, and performing stepwise regression all can easily lead to spurious statistical conclusions. The danger of these three practices is illustrated with three simple computer runs using random data. In each run statistically significant results were found for the random data.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

• The use of LOTUS 1-2-3 in statistics.
  Sundqvist C, Enkvist K. Sundqvist C, et al. Comput Biol Med. 1987;17(6):395-9. doi: 10.1016/0010-4825(87)90057-6. Comput Biol Med. 1987. PMID: 3691065
• Tutorial in biostatistics. An introduction to hierarchical linear modelling.
  Sullivan LM, Dukes KA, Losina E. Sullivan LM, et al. Stat Med. 1999 Apr 15;18(7):855-88. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0258(19990415)18:7<855::aid-sim117>3.0.co;2-7. Stat Med. 1999. PMID: 10327531 Review.
• Regression analysis with missing covariate data using estimating equations.
  Zhao LP, Lipsitz S, Lew D. Zhao LP, et al. Biometrics. 1996 Dec;52(4):1165-82. Biometrics. 1996. PMID: 8962448
• The world of biometry.
  Billard L. Billard L. Biometrics. 1994 Dec;50(4):899-916. Biometrics. 1994. PMID: 7787005 Review.

Cited by

• Statistical fallacies in orthopedic research.
  Indrayan A. Indrayan A. Indian J Orthop. 2007 Jan;41(1):37-46. doi: 10.4103/0019-5413.30524. Indian J Orthop. 2007. PMID: 21124681 Free PMC article.
• Applications of statistical tests in hand surgery.
  Song JW, Haas A, Chung KC. Song JW, et al. J Hand Surg Am. 2009 Dec;34(10):1872-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2009.08.001. J Hand Surg Am. 2009. PMID: 19969193 Free PMC article. Review.
• Cigarette smoking pharmacokinetics and its relationship to smoking behaviour.
  Darby TD, McNamee JE, van Rossum JM. Darby TD, et al. Clin Pharmacokinet. 1984 Sep-Oct;9(5):435-49. doi: 10.2165/00003088-198409050-00003. Clin Pharmacokinet. 1984. PMID: 6388953 Review.

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Atypon