Binary Classification: Error Type I vs. Error Type II

btd
3 min readNov 18, 2023

Error Type I and Error Type II, also known as false positives and false negatives, are terms commonly used in the context of binary classification problems. Let’s break down these concepts:

I. Error Type I (False Positive):

1. Definition:

  • Error Type I occurs when the model predicts the positive class, but the true class is negative.

2. Example:

  • Scenario: A medical test for a rare disease.
  • False Positive: The test incorrectly indicates the presence of the disease when the patient is actually healthy.

3. Preferable in Certain Scenarios:

  • In situations where the cost or consequences of a false positive are relatively low compared to a false negative.
  • When the goal is to be cautious and minimize the risk of missing positive instances.

II. Error Type II (False Negative):

1. Definition:

  • Error Type II occurs when the model predicts the negative class, but the true class is positive.

2. Example:

  • Scenario: Airport security screening…

--

--

btd
btd

No responses yet