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Nursing QUESTION #9203
Question 1
A researcher reports Type II error (\(\beta\) error) in a clinical study. What does this mean for nursing practice?
  • A false positive result was reported — treatment appears effective when it is not
  • A true effect was missed — the study concluded no difference when one actually exists✔️
  • The sample size was too large, inflating statistical power
  • The p-value was below the significance threshold incorrectly
Correct Answer Explanation
Correct Answer: B

Statistical Errors in Hypothesis Testing:
ErrorAlso CalledMeaningRisk
Type I (\(\alpha\))False PositiveRejecting \(H_0\) when it is actually trueAdopting ineffective treatment
Type II (\(\beta\))False NegativeFailing to reject \(H_0\) when it is actually falseMissing an effective treatment
Statistical Power \(= 1 - \beta\) = probability of correctly detecting a true effect.

In nursing, a Type II error could mean a beneficial intervention is dismissed and patients miss out on better care. Increasing sample size is the main way to reduce \(\beta\) and increase power.