In the two-by-two table, which category corresponds to disease absent and test negative?

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Multiple Choice

In the two-by-two table, which category corresponds to disease absent and test negative?

Explanation:
In a diagnostic 2×2 table, you pair actual disease status (present or absent) with the test result (positive or negative). The combination where disease is absent and the test result is negative is the true negative—the test correctly says a person does not have the disease. This category is the one that underpins specificity, the test’s ability to correctly identify those without disease. The other three combinations correspond to the other outcomes: disease present with a positive result is a true positive, disease absent with a positive result is a false positive, and disease present with a negative result is a false negative.

In a diagnostic 2×2 table, you pair actual disease status (present or absent) with the test result (positive or negative). The combination where disease is absent and the test result is negative is the true negative—the test correctly says a person does not have the disease. This category is the one that underpins specificity, the test’s ability to correctly identify those without disease. The other three combinations correspond to the other outcomes: disease present with a positive result is a true positive, disease absent with a positive result is a false positive, and disease present with a negative result is a false negative.

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