Comments on: Statistics to English Translation, Part 2a: ’Significant’ Doesn’t Always Mean ’Important’ http://www.win-vector.com/blog/2009/12/statistics-to-english-translation-part-2a-%e2%80%99significant%e2%80%99-doesn%e2%80%99t-always-mean-%e2%80%99important%e2%80%99/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=statistics-to-english-translation-part-2a-%25e2%2580%2599significant%25e2%2580%2599-doesn%25e2%2580%2599t-always-mean-%25e2%2580%2599important%25e2%2580%2599 The Applied Theorist's Point of View Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:13:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Nina Zumel http://www.win-vector.com/blog/2009/12/statistics-to-english-translation-part-2a-%e2%80%99significant%e2%80%99-doesn%e2%80%99t-always-mean-%e2%80%99important%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-1671 Nina Zumel Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:40:18 +0000 http://www.win-vector.com/blog/?p=1186#comment-1671 <a href="#comment-1670" rel="nofollow">@Yizhar Toren </a> You are absolutely correct. Thanks for the nice comments, and the additional reminder. @Yizhar Toren
You are absolutely correct. Thanks for the nice comments, and the additional reminder.

]]> By: Yizhar Toren http://www.win-vector.com/blog/2009/12/statistics-to-english-translation-part-2a-%e2%80%99significant%e2%80%99-doesn%e2%80%99t-always-mean-%e2%80%99important%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-1670 Yizhar Toren Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:37:27 +0000 http://www.win-vector.com/blog/?p=1186#comment-1670 Great writing man. Very crisp and clear. Just wanted to add an important reminder: ** Never forget that p-value is a wonderful way of answering the wrong question. ** As you've said we would like to answer the question: "what is the probability that groups a and b have the same distribution?" P-value answers the question: "how likely is it to get the difference we measure between the groups, when we assume that both groups have the same distribution?" The two answers are of course related (and a small p-value implies small probability of the two groups having the same distribution) but not necessarily in a simple fashion. For that you have to go Bayesian, but that's a completely different story... :) Great writing man. Very crisp and clear. Just wanted to add an important reminder:
** Never forget that p-value is a wonderful way of answering the wrong question. **

As you’ve said we would like to answer the question: “what is the probability that groups a and b have the same distribution?”
P-value answers the question: “how likely is it to get the difference we measure between the groups, when we assume that both groups have the same distribution?”

The two answers are of course related (and a small p-value implies small probability of the two groups having the same distribution) but not necessarily in a simple fashion. For that you have to go Bayesian, but that’s a completely different story… :)

]]> By: Kevin Gaab http://www.win-vector.com/blog/2009/12/statistics-to-english-translation-part-2a-%e2%80%99significant%e2%80%99-doesn%e2%80%99t-always-mean-%e2%80%99important%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-1647 Kevin Gaab Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:37:28 +0000 http://www.win-vector.com/blog/?p=1186#comment-1647 This is a fantastic article! I think even among experienced, practicing scientists and engineers there is always some confusion in treating the uncertainty of measurements. Sometimes this is simply because the sample size is too small (and cannot be increased for various reasons), but I think often it is just because people either chose to ignore it or haven't been properly trained in statistics. This is a fantastic article! I think even among experienced, practicing scientists and engineers there is always some confusion in treating the uncertainty of measurements. Sometimes this is simply because the sample size is too small (and cannot be increased for various reasons), but I think often it is just because people either chose to ignore it or haven’t been properly trained in statistics.

]]> By: yguaratã http://www.win-vector.com/blog/2009/12/statistics-to-english-translation-part-2a-%e2%80%99significant%e2%80%99-doesn%e2%80%99t-always-mean-%e2%80%99important%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-1638 yguaratã Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:15:12 +0000 http://www.win-vector.com/blog/?p=1186#comment-1638 good work, man!! you have provided really nice resource for experimenters. []s good work, man!!
you have provided really nice resource for experimenters.

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