S. Schwartz et Km. Carpenter, The right answer for the wrong question: Consequences of type III error for public health research, AM J PUB HE, 89(8), 1999, pp. 1175-1180
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science","Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health","Medical Research General Topics
Objectives. This study examined the impact of assessing the causes of inter
individual variation within a population when the research question of inte
rest is about causes of differences between populations or time periods. Th
is discrepancy between the research focus and the research question is refe
rred to as a type III error, one that provides the right answer for the wro
ng question.
Methods. Homelessness, obesity, and infant mortality were used to illustrat
e different consequences of type III errors. These different consequences d
epend on the relationships between the causes of within- and between group
variation.
Conclusions. The causes of inter-individual variation and the causes of var
iation between populations and time periods may be distinct. The problem of
examining invariant causes deserves attention.