Question

Would one, for instance, prefer:

- to have a type I error in which case further testing will be conducted, extra time and money spent

or

- to have a type II error in which case no treatment will be administered, disease will develop in time, maybe even make other people sick?

What do you think?

Answer 1

1)We reject the null hypothesis and the null hypothesis is true. This is what is known as a Type I error.

2) We fail to reject the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis is true. This is what is known as a Type II error.

A false positive of a Type I error may give a patient some anxiety, but this will lead to other testing procedures which will ultimately reveal the initial test was incorrect. In contrast, a false negative from a Type II error would give a patient the incorrect assurance that he or she does not have a disease when he or she in fact does. As a result of this incorrect information, the disease would not be treated. If doctors could choose between these two options, a false positive is more desirable than a false negative.

So, I would prefer to have a type I error in which case further testing will be conducted, extra time and money spent.

This is because if a person is sick and you