Which of the following vignettes BEST illustrates a false negative?
A) Terry's MCAT scores are too low to be accepted to a U.S. medical school yet Terry goes on to win a Nobel Prize in medicine.
B) Maurice scores at the top of his class on tests of speed, strength, and agility and is very successful as a starting player on a college basketball team.
C) Lynn scores in the top 1% of the population on a test of cognitive ability yet flunks out of college within the first year.
D) Morgan does not get hired as a pharmacy technician after failing a polygraph test and is arrested several months later for drug possession.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A false negative occurs when a test incorrectly indicates the absence of a condition or trait that is present. Terry's low MCAT scores (indicating a lack of potential for medical school success) contrasted with winning a Nobel Prize in medicine (indicating significant success in the field) exemplifies a false negative by incorrectly suggesting Terry would not be successful in medicine.

Which of the Following Vignettes BEST Illustrates a False Negative