How Simpson’s Paradox Could Impact A/B Tests

Bithika Mehra
The Startup
Published in
5 min readSep 7, 2020

Source: Pinterest

Simpson’s paradox occurs when we observe a certain trend in the aggregate data but not in the underlying segments that comprise the data. In the A/B testing domain, Simpson’s Paradox can occur when the overall mean conversion rate and/ or average order value of the experiences tested point to a result different from the mean conversion rates and/ or average order value of the underlying segments.

Bithika Mehra
The Startup

On the path to learning all things insights and optimization (linkedin.com/in/bithikamehra) | Foodie | Environmentalist| Loves to travel | Player of a few riffs