Chi-square and Mendel's experiments: where's the bias?

J Hered. 1985 Jul-Aug;76(4):307-9. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a110099.

Abstract

Mendel has been accused of "cooking" his data to meet a particular hypothesis. The earliest time he could have formulated an hypothesis in the course of his experiments was at the end of the second year of experiments 1 and 2. If he knew what to expect as the result of his first two pea-seed experiments, one might expect the chi-square values of subsequent experiments to exhibit a trend toward smaller values. However, when the individual experiments are, each in turn, subjected to a chi-square test, there is no evidence of the expected trend. With few exceptions, the data show no systematic variation in a particular direction. In our view, the suggestion of bias is not supported.

MeSH terms

  • Genotype
  • Hybridization, Genetic
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Phenotype
  • Plants / genetics*