American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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What type of error involves rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true?

Type 1 error
Type 2 error
Type 3 error
Type 4 error

The correct answer is: Type 1 error

A Type 1 error occurs when a true null hypothesis is incorrectly rejected. This means that a researcher concludes that there is an effect or a difference when in reality, none exists. In statistical hypothesis testing, the null hypothesis typically represents the default position or a statement of no effect. Rejecting it wrongly suggests that the research provides sufficient evidence to support an alternative claim. Understanding the consequences of a Type 1 error is crucial, especially in fields like surgery, where it may lead to unnecessary treatments or interventions based on false-positive results. This error is often denoted by the significance level (alpha), which is the probability of making such an error. Reducing the chances of a Type 1 error often involves setting a stricter threshold for what constitutes significant evidence against the null hypothesis.