On the Poor Statistical Properties of the P-Curve Meta-Analytic Procedure

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Morey, Richard D.; Davis-Stober, Clintin P.
• 署名单位: Cardiff University; University of Missouri System; University of Missouri Columbia; University of Missouri System; University of Missouri Columbia
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0162-1459
• DOI: 10.1080/01621459.2025.2544397
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: publication bias; hacking; distributions; difficulties; selection

摘要

The P-curve is a widely used suite of meta-analytic tests advertised for detecting problems in sets of studies. They are based on nonparametric combinations of p values (e.g., Marden) across significant (p < .05) studies and are variously claimed to detect evidential value, lack of evidential value, and left skew in p values. We show that these tests do not have the properties ascribed to them. Moreover, they fail basic desiderata for tests, including admissibility and monotonicity. In light of these serious problems, we recommend against the use of the P-curve tests. Supplementary materials for this article are available online, including a standardized description of the materials available for reproducing the work.