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A surgeon performed two types of surgeries to treat large kidney stones and small kidney stones. Treatment A on large stones was successful 73% of the time, but on small stones it was successful 93% of the time. Treatment B was successful on large stones 69% of the time, but on small stones it was successful 87% of the time. The overall report stated treatment B was more successful. What may make this claim possible?

User DioBrando
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1 Answer

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The complete question is;

A surgeon performed two types of surgeries to treat large kidney stones and small kidney stones. Treatment A on large stones was successful 73% of the time, but on small stones it was successful 93% of the time. Treatment B was successful on large stones 69% of the time, but on small stones it was successful 87% of the time. The overall report stated treatment B was more successful. What may make this claim possible?

Group of answer choices;

Sampling error

Cause-and-effect relationship

Convenience error

Confounding

Simpson's Paradox

Answer:

Correct Option is Simpson's Paradox

Explanation:

Looking at all the options, The correct option is Simpson's Paradox because the concept of the other options don't depict the paradox displayed in the question.

Now, Simpson's paradox, is simply a phenomenon in probability and statistics, whereby a trend appears in several different groups of data but will disappear or reverse when these groups are combined. This result is often encountered in many areas of statistics and is very problematic especially when frequency data is given causal interpretations. The paradox can be resolved when causal relations are appropriately addressed in the statistical modeling.

Now, in this question, it concluded that treatment B was more successful than treatment A without considering the conditions under which both treatments were carried out neither did it consider the severity of cases of patients involved in the treatment.

User Elizaveta
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