HALLO
Learn more third part - Biostatistics
OBSERVATION: It was not possible to determine conclusively because:
- The brightness of the selfies varied since the distance for photographing and the lighting source was not defined beforehand – in other words, the protocol for examination was not standardized and the light sources were not calibrated.
- The tooth shades varied greatly amongst the participants at the commencement of the experiment – statistical considerations are required
- The new toothpaste appeared to demonstrate some effect on some of the study participants, but not on others– statistical considerations are required
- Some of the participants appeared to have less surface staining when they had used their regular toothpaste -– statistical considerations are required
What is at play is the phenomenon termed natural fluctuations, and its statistical counterpart is:
natural variation.
Even though the study design and the idea to detect differences in the photographs was good, a scientific method is usually necessary in order to address assumptions made before the conduct of a study, as was the situation here.