Multiplicity correction after performing non-parametric tests

multiple-comparisonsnonparametricwilcoxon-mann-whitney-test

This is a theoretical question.

I am wondering if multiplicity correction is applicable in the case of non-parametric tests.

I have performed some Mann-Whitney U rank test on two independent samples using this scipy function.

I was then thinking to apply fdr correction for multiplicity correction.
Does multiplicity correction makes sense in the case of non-parametric tests?

Best Answer

Corrections for multiple testing do not care what kinds of tests you run. When you reject a null hypothesis, you are making a decision, and corrections for multiple testing helps control the error rate of that decision.

Use it for parametric tests; use it for nonparametric tests; use it if you mix the two. The control has to do with the resulting decision.

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