Terminal digit preference explained

Terminal digit preference, terminal digit bias, or end-digit preference is a commonly-observed statistical phenomenon whereby humans recording numbers have a bias or preference for a specific final digit in a number. In medical science, this is often seen when recording measurements such as blood pressure by hand, where those taking measurements will round to the nearest 5 or 0.^[1] The phenomenon has been blamed for misdiagnoses.^[2] Terminal digit bias has been used to identify errors in research,^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} and is one method used in the identification of scientific fraud.^[7] Severe terminal digit bias has been found in datasets for scientific papers that were later retracted ^{[8] [9]}

See also

• Benford's law

Notes and References

1. Thavarajah . 1 December 2003 . Terminal digit bias in a specialty hypertension faculty practice . . 17 . 12 . 819–822 . 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001625 . 14704725 . free.
2. Nietert . Paul J. . Wessell . Andrea . Feifer . Chris . Ornstein . Steven . Effect of Terminal Digit Preference on Blood Pressure Measurement and Treatment in Primary Care . American Journal of Hypertension . 2006 . 19 . 2 . 147–152 . 10.1016/j.amjhyper.2005.08.016 . 16448884 . 25597886 . free .
3. Thavarajah . 1 December 2003 . Terminal digit bias in a specialty hypertension faculty practice . . 17 . 12 . 819–822 . 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001625 . 14704725 . free.
4. Hla . Khin . Observer Error in Systolic Blood Pressure Measurement in the Elderly . Arch Intern Med . 1986 . 146 . 12 . 2373 . 10.1001/archinte.1986.00360240099017 . 29 September 2021.
5. Hayes . 2008 . Terminal digit preference occurs in pathology reporting irrespective of patient management implication . . 61 . 9 . 1071–1072 . 10.1136/jcp.2008.059543 . 18755731 . 10737432. 29 September 2021.
6. Lusignan . 23 March 2004 . End-digit preference in blood pressure recordings of patients with ischaemic heart disease in primary care . Nature . 18 . 4 . 261–265 . 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001663 . 15037875 . 430764 . 29 September 2021.
7. Lawrence . Jack . 22 September 2021 . The lesson of ivermectin: meta-analyses based on summary data alone are inherently unreliable . Nature . 27. 11. 1853–1854 . 10.1038/s41591-021-01535-y . 34552263 . free.
8. Web site: Brown . Nick . Dr. . More problematic articles from the Food and Brand Lab . Nick Brown . 30 November 2021.
9. News: Retraction Watch . JAMA journals retract six papers by food marketing researcher Brian Wansink . 30 November 2021 . Retraction Watch . 19 September 2018.