Start practicing

Biostatistics & Research · single question

What is the primary difference between specificity and sensitivity in diagnostic testing?

  1. Specificity measures the true positives, while sensitivity measures the true negatives
  2. Specificity measures the proportion of true negatives, while sensitivity measures the proportion of true positives
  3. Specificity measures the test's ability to correctly identify those without the condition, while sensitivity measures its ability to identify those with the condition
  4. Specificity is used in screening tests, while sensitivity is used in confirmatory tests
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Specificity measures the test's ability to correctly identify those without the condition, while sensitivity measures its ability to identify those with the condition

SENSITIVITY = True Positive Rate = ability to correctly identify those WITH the disease (TP/TP+FN). High sensitivity → few false negatives → good SCREENING test (SnNout: Sensitive test, Negative result rules OUT disease). SPECIFICITY = True Negative Rate = ability to correctly identify those WITHOUT the disease (TN/TN+FP). High specificity → few false positives → good CONFIRMATORY test (SpPin: Specific test, Positive result rules IN disease). Note: D is actually backwards from the common teaching. C correctly captures the essence. C is correct.

Practice Biostatistics & Research questions Biostatistics & Research study notes

More Biostatistics & Research practice questions