ABSTRACT
References .............................................................................................................................................. 535 Exercises ............................................................................................................................. 535
In all the stochastic discussions thus far, the investigator wanted to confirm something impressive: to show that a quantitatively “big” distinction was accompanied by a satisfactory P value or confidence interval. The ideas about “capacity,” alternative hypotheses,
β
error, and “power” that appeared in Chapter 23 were all related to the same basic goal. They offered hope for salvaging something favorable if a trial’s results were disappointingly “negative,” with the desired “significance” being obtained neither quantitatively nor stochastically.
