Statistics - explanations and formulas

Predictive Power

Predictive power is the power of a scientific theory to generate testable predictions. It allows a prospective test of theoretical understanding.

Predictive power of statistical significance

Statistical significance is currently defined as a P-value of 0.05 or less, however, this definition is inadequate because of the effect of study power. A better definition of statistical significance is based upon the P-value’s positive predictive value. To achieve statistical significance using this definition, the power divided by the sum of power plus the P-value must be 95% or greater.

Heston TF, King JM. Predictive power of statistical significance. World J Methodol. 2017 Dec 26;7(4):112-116. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v7.i4.112. PMID: 29354483; PMCID: PMC5746664.