What the use of P [the significance level] implies…
![“What the use of P [the significance level] implies, therefore, is that a hypothesis that may be true may be rejected because it has not predicted observable results that have not occurred.” quote by Harold Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/03a/harold-jeffreys-47480_being-true_what-the-use-of-p-the-significance-level_1333387.jpg)
“What the use of P [the significance level] implies, therefore, is that a hypothesis that may be true may be rejected because it has not predicted observable results that have not occurred.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Statistical significance can cause a true hypothesis to be rejected if data are missing or not observed.
In simple terms: A true idea may be dismissed due to lack of data.
Key Takeaway
Beware of over‑reliance on p‑values.
Themes
statistics
uncertainty
methodology
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
scientific
methodological
When to use this quote
- research design
- clinical trials
- policy analysis
Key Concepts
significance testing
type I error
data scarcity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance statistical rigor with practical relevance?
- When should you trust intuition over a p‑value?
A Different Perspective
Statistical tests cannot capture all relevant evidence.