When to adjust alpha during multiple testing: A consideration of disjunction, conjunction, and individual testing.
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Rubin, Mark
Abstract / Description
Scientists often adjust their significance threshold (alpha level) during null hypothesis significance testing in order to take into account multiple testing and multiple comparisons. This alpha adjustment has become particularly relevant in the context of the replication crisis in science. The present article considers the conditions in which this alpha adjustment is appropriate and the conditions in which it is inappropriate. A distinction is drawn between three types of multiple testing: disjunction testing, conjunction testing, and individual testing. It is argued that alpha adjustment is only appropriate in the case of disjunction testing, in which at least one test result must be significant in order to reject the associated joint null hypothesis. Alpha adjustment is inappropriate in the case of conjunction testing, in which all relevant results must be significant in order to reject the joint null hypothesis. Alpha adjustment is also inappropriate in the case of individual testing, in which each individual result must be significant in order to reject each associated individual null hypothesis. The conditions under which each of these three types of multiple testing is warranted are examined. It is concluded that researchers should not automatically (mindlessly) assume that alpha adjustment is necessary during multiple testing. Illustrations are provided in relation to joint studywise hypotheses and joint multiway ANOVAwise hypotheses.
Keyword(s)
experimentwise error familywise error multiple testing multiple comparisons simultaneous testing Type I errorPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2021-07-07
Journal title
Synthese
Publisher
PsychArchives
Publication status
acceptedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Rubin, M. (2021). When to adjust alpha during multiple testing: A consideration of disjunction, conjunction, and individual testing. Synthese. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-021-03276-4
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Rubin (2021) When to Adjust Alpha.pdfAdobe PDF - 915.77KBMD5: aab998b338472c8754fd3c695e68fda3
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Rubin, Mark
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2021-07-07T18:41:28Z
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Made available on2021-07-07T18:41:28Z
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Date of first publication2021-07-07
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Abstract / DescriptionScientists often adjust their significance threshold (alpha level) during null hypothesis significance testing in order to take into account multiple testing and multiple comparisons. This alpha adjustment has become particularly relevant in the context of the replication crisis in science. The present article considers the conditions in which this alpha adjustment is appropriate and the conditions in which it is inappropriate. A distinction is drawn between three types of multiple testing: disjunction testing, conjunction testing, and individual testing. It is argued that alpha adjustment is only appropriate in the case of disjunction testing, in which at least one test result must be significant in order to reject the associated joint null hypothesis. Alpha adjustment is inappropriate in the case of conjunction testing, in which all relevant results must be significant in order to reject the joint null hypothesis. Alpha adjustment is also inappropriate in the case of individual testing, in which each individual result must be significant in order to reject each associated individual null hypothesis. The conditions under which each of these three types of multiple testing is warranted are examined. It is concluded that researchers should not automatically (mindlessly) assume that alpha adjustment is necessary during multiple testing. Illustrations are provided in relation to joint studywise hypotheses and joint multiway ANOVAwise hypotheses.en
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Publication statusacceptedVersionen
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Review statuspeerRevieweden
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CitationRubin, M. (2021). When to adjust alpha during multiple testing: A consideration of disjunction, conjunction, and individual testing. Synthese. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-021-03276-4en
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ISSN1573-0964
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/4388
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4960
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychArchivesen
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-021-03276-4
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Keyword(s)experimentwise erroren
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Keyword(s)familywise erroren
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Keyword(s)multiple testingen
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Keyword(s)multiple comparisonsen
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Keyword(s)simultaneous testingen
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Keyword(s)Type I erroren
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleWhen to adjust alpha during multiple testing: A consideration of disjunction, conjunction, and individual testing.en
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DRO typearticleen
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Journal titleSyntheseen
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Visible tag(s)Accepted Manuscript