Invited Commentary: Is Bias Towards the Null From Nondifferential Misclassification Wishful Thinking?
Ghassan B. Hamra
Abstract
In their article, Yland et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2022;191(8):1485-1495) bring renewed attention to the oft-cited heuristic "nondifferential misclassification biases results towards the null." They make a compelling case, as others have before, that this heuristic is misguided. Herein, I briefly discuss the history of this heuristic, discuss why I believe it became and stayed popular, and note the very limited circumstances for which it may be appropriate.
Topics & Concepts
Wishful thinkingNull (SQL)MedicinePsychologyCognitive psychologyComputer scienceData miningHealthcare cost, quality, practicesForecasting Techniques and ApplicationsHealth Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life