Exploring the order of odds ratios using the bootstrap

Abstract

We show the use of the bootstrap resampling method to examine further the order of a series of odds ratios. Specifically, the bootstrap provides a method for estimating the probabilities that one would find in subsequent independent samples from the same population the observed odds ratio rankings. To illustrate this use of the bootstrap, we modelled the responses of 77 white male physicians to an ethical dilemma involving hypothetical patients. Would the physician report positive HIV status to the health department or would he maintain patient confidentiality? To see if a patient's sex, race, or sexual preference would influence the physicians' decisions, each physician received one of eigh..