Negative P-Hacking

A form of statistical manipulation aimed specifically at producing a p‑value that supports a negative or null conclusion. Researchers selectively exclude outliers, choose particular time windows, or drop certain subgroups until the p‑value rises above 0.05, then claim “no effect.” Negative p‑hacking is especially common in replication studies or in fields where null results are easier to publish than positive ones. It allows researchers to reject true effects under the guise of methodological rigor, effectively laundering bias through statistical noise.

Negative P-Hacking Example: “He removed the three highest responders from his dataset, and the p‑value climbed from 0.04 to 0.07 – negative p‑hacking, manufacturing a null result.”

Negative P-Hacking by Dumu The Void April 25, 2026