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On the Birnbaum Argument for the Strong Likelihood Principle
Deborah G. Mayo
Department of Philosophy, Virginia Tech
(Full paper: http://arxiv-web3.library.cornell.edu/abs/1302.7021)
1 INTRODUCTION
 I am here to talk about an old but very central result in the foundations
of statistics, given by Allan Birnbaum (1962); I am not a statistician but
a philosopher of statistics.
 Some of you may not be familiar with it, but it continues to appear in
textbooks and to be the source of controversy.
 Birnbaum’s argument is for the strong likelihood principle (SLP); Why
is it so controversial?

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 Not only do all of the familiar frequentist notions, p-values, significance
levels violate the SLP, the Birnbaum argument claims the SLP follows
from principles that frequentist sampling theorists accept!
 SLP says, in effect, given the data, all the information is in the
likelihood function (for inference within a given model).
SLP: For any two experiments E1 and E2 with different probability
models f1(.), f2(.) but with the same unknown parameter θ, if outcomes 𝐱∗
and 𝐲∗
(from E1 and E2 respectively) determine the same likelihood
function (f1(𝐱∗
; θ) = cf2(𝐲∗
; θ) for all θ), then 𝐱∗
and 𝐲∗
should be
inferentially equivalent.
SLP pairs: A shorthand for the whole antecedent: 𝐱∗
and 𝐲∗
form an SLP
pair .

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Contemporary nonsubjective Bayesians admit they “have to live with
some violations of the likelihood and stopping rule principles” (Ghosh,
Delampady, and Sumanta 2006, 148), since their prior probability
distributions are influenced by the sampling distribution.
By contrast, Savage stressed:
According to Bayes’s theorem, P(x|)…constitutes the entire evidence of
the experiment…[I]f y is the datum of some other experiment, and if it
happens that P(x|) and P(y|) are proportional functions of  (that is,
constant multiples of each other), then each of the two data x and y have
exactly the same thing to say about the value of . (Savage 1962a, 17,
using  for his .)

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Birnbaum requires a general way to talk about a parametric inference
InfrE[z]: the parametric inference from a given (E, z).
“⇒ " maps outcomes to inference implications
( 𝐸, 𝐳) ⇒ Infr 𝐸[𝐳]: is read “the inference implication about  from given z
under experiment E is to be computed by means of InfrE[z]”
(according to whatever type/school is being discussed)
InfrE[z], Cox and Mayo (2010), allows ready identification of experiment E,
and its associated sampling distribution.

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2.2 The Principle Under Dispute: Strong Likelihood Principle: SLP
SLP: For any two experiments E1 and E2 with different probability models f1(.),
f2(.) but with the same unknown parameter θ, if outcomes 𝐱∗
and 𝐲∗
(from E1
and E2 respectively) determine the same likelihood function (f1(𝐱∗
; θ) = cf2(𝐲∗
;
θ) for all θ), then 𝐱∗
and 𝐲∗
should be inferentially equivalent.
Let 𝐲∗
: “E2 is performed and 𝐲∗
observed”; likewise for 𝐱∗
from E1 .
SLP: If 𝐱∗
and 𝐲∗
form an SLP pair, then
Infr 𝐸1
[ 𝐱∗] = Infr 𝐸2
[𝐲∗
].

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SLP VIOLATION PAIRS
Whenever 𝐱∗
and y*
form an SLP pair, but Infr 𝐸1
[ 𝐱∗] ≠ Infr 𝐸2
[𝐲∗
].
Fixed versus sequential sampling: X and Y from E1 and E2, both
N(θ2), 2 identical and known, and p-values calculated for H0: θ = 0
against H1: θ ≠ 0.
In E2 the sampling rule is: continue sampling until: | 𝑦̅ 𝑛| > c=1.96/(n1/2
).
In E1, the sample size n is fixed, and  = 0.05.
Suppose that E2 is run and stops with n = 169 trials (this is 𝐲∗
).
A choice for its SLP pair 𝐱∗
is E1 with n = 169, that happens to yield
significance (E1, 1.96/13).
The SLP violation is the fact that: Infr 𝐸1
[1.96𝜎/13] ≠ Infr 𝐸2
[𝑛 = 169].

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Sufficiency Principle (Weak Likelihood Principle)
The Sufficiency Principle (SP) is the weak likelihood principle, limited as it
is to a single experiment E, with its sampling distribution.
If TE is a (minimal) sufficient statistic for E, the Sufficiency Principle asserts:
SP: If TE(z1) = TE(z2), then InfrE[z1] = InfrE[z2].
Inference within the model of a single experiment yields no violation: we use
TE(.) and its sampling distribution to obtain inference implications.

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2.4 Birnbaumization: Key gambit in the strategy
An experiment has been run, label it as E2, and 𝐲∗
observed. Suppose 𝐲∗
has an
SLP pair 𝐱∗
in a distinct experiment E1.
(Birnbaum must show the two are evidentially equivalent.)
We are to imagine E2 was the result of a type of mixture: we flipped a fair coin
(or some other randomizer given as irrelevant to ) to decide to run E1 or E2.
EB: Birnbaum’s imagined mixture (the “enlarged experiment” Cox)
Define a statistic TB that stipulates: If 𝐲∗
is observed, its SLP pair x*
in the
unperformed experiment is reported.
𝑇𝐵( 𝐸𝑖, 𝐙𝑖) = {
( 𝐸1, 𝐱∗), if ( 𝐸1, 𝐱∗) or (𝐸2, 𝐲∗
)
( 𝐸𝑖, 𝐳𝑖), otherwise.

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 When 𝐲∗
is observed, TB reports 𝐱∗
: in effect the report is: the result
could have come from E1, or E2, and we don’t know which.
 The inference in EB under Birnbaumization for 𝐲∗
as for 𝐱∗
:
(E2, y*
) ⇒ Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[x*],
is to be computed using the convex combination over E1 and E2.
 It follows that, within EB, 𝐱∗
and 𝐲∗
are inferentially equivalent.
[B]: Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[x*
] = Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[y*
].
 Now [B] does not yet reach the SLP which requires:
Infr 𝐸1
[ 𝐱∗] = Infr 𝐸2
[𝐲∗
].
But Birnbaum does not stop; we are to “condition back down” to the known
experiment E2. But this will not produce the SLP as we now show.

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WEAK CONDITIONALITY PRINCIPLE (WCP)
Mixture: Emix Two instruments of different precisions Cox (1958)
 We flip a fair coin to decide whether to use a very precise or imprecise
tool: E1 or E2.
 WCP: Once it is known which Ei produced z, the p-value or other
inferential assessment should be made with reference to the experiment
actually run.
Example: in observing a normally distributed Z in testing a null
hypothesis = 0, E1 has variance of 1, while that of E2 is 106
.
The same z measurement would correspond to a much smaller p-value if
from E1 rather than E2: p1(z) and p2(z), respectively.

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The overall (or unconditional) significance level of the mixture Emix is
the convex combination of the p-values: [ap1(z) + bp2(z)],
Suppose we know we have observed E2 with its much larger variance:
The unconditional test says that we can assign this a higher level of
significance than we ordinarily do, because if we were to repeat the
experiment, we might sample some quite different distribution. But this
fact seems irrelevant to the interpretation of an observation which we
know came from a distribution [with the larger variance] (Cox 1958,
361).
What could be more obvious?

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Yet Birnbaum’s result purports: WCP (+ sufficiency) entails SLP!
It is not uncommon to see statistics texts argue that in frequentist theory
one is faced with the following dilemma: either to deny the
appropriateness of conditioning on the precision of the tool chosen by
the toss of a coin, or else to embrace the strong likelihood principle,
which entails that frequentist sampling distributions are irrelevant to
inference once the data are obtained. This is a false dilemma. . . . The
‘dilemma’ argument is therefore an illusion. (Cox and Mayo 2010, 298)
But the illusion is not so easy to dispel; thus this paper.

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Weak Conditionality Principle (WCP) in the measuring example
WCP: Given (Emix, zi): Condition on the Ei producing the result:
( 𝐸 𝑚𝑖𝑥, 𝐳𝑖) ⇒ Infr 𝐸 𝑖
[( 𝐸 𝑚𝑖𝑥, 𝐳𝑖)] = Infr 𝐸 𝑖
[ 𝒛𝑖] = pi
Do not use the unconditional formulation:
( 𝐸 𝑚𝑖𝑥, 𝐳𝑖) ⇏ Infr 𝐸 𝑚𝑖𝑥
[ 𝐳𝑖] = [ap1(z) + bp2(z)].
The concern is that:
Infr 𝐸 𝑚𝑖𝑥
[ 𝐳𝑖] = [ap1(z) + bp2(z)] ≠ pi.
Eschew unconditional formulations whenever Infr 𝐸 𝑚𝑖𝑥
[ 𝐳𝑖] ≠ Infr 𝐸 𝑖
[ 𝐳𝑖].
There are three sampling distributions and the WCP says the relevant one to
use is the one known to have generated the result (Birnbaum 1962, 491).

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Elements of Birnbaum’s Argument: 𝐲∗
is given (and has an SLP pair 𝐱∗
);
Birnbaum must show SLP: Infr 𝐸2
[ 𝐲∗] = Infr 𝐸1
[ 𝐱∗]. Apply (1) and (2):
(1) If the inference is by Birnbaumization EB:
y*
⇒ Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[x*
] = Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[y*
].
Likewise for x*
(2) If the inference is by WCP:
𝐲∗
⇏ Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[𝐲∗
], rather
𝐲∗
⇒ Infr 𝐸2
[𝐲∗
] and x*
⇒ Infr 𝐸1
[𝐱∗
].
To apply (1) is at odds with applying (2). We will not get:
Infr 𝐸1
[ 𝐱∗] = Infr 𝐸2
[ 𝐲∗].
The SLP seems to follow by erroneously thinking
Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[zi
*
] = Infr 𝐸 𝑖
[zi
*
]for i = 1, 2.

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The logical refutation of (SP and WCP entails SLP): We can uphold both
(1) and (2),
(1) If we Birnbaumize: (E2, 𝐲∗
) ⇒ Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[x*
] = Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[𝐲∗
].
(2) If we use WCP: (E2, 𝐲∗
) ⇒ Infr 𝐸2
[𝐲∗
] and (E1, x*
) ⇒ Infr 𝐸1
[𝐱∗
].
while at the same time hold:
(3) Infr 𝐸1
[ 𝐱∗] ≠ Infr 𝐸2
[𝐲∗
]--the denial of the SLP
𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫 𝑬 𝑩
[𝐲∗
] can’t have conflicting references within the argument!
 No contradiction results
 This refutes (WCP and SP entails SLP).
To apply competing implications in a single case is self-contradictory.
Note: Sufficiency (SP) is not blocked in (1). The conditional distribution of
Z-the sample relating to Emix—given TB, is independent of 

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OVERVIEW
 We have shown that SLP violations do not entail renouncing either the
SP or the WCP.
 We do not assume sampling theory, but employ a formulation that
avoids ruling it out in advance.
 Birnbaum claims his argument is relevant for a sampling theorist, for
“approaches which are independent of Bayes’ principle” (1962, 495).
 Its implications for sampling theory is why it was dubbed “a landmark
in statistics” (Savage 1962b, 307-8).

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OVERVIEW cont.
The SLP does not refer to mixtures. But supposing that (E2, 𝐲∗
) is given,
Birnbaum asks us to consider that 𝐲∗
could also have resulted from a -
irrelevant mixture that selects between E1, E2.
(1) If one chooses to Birnbaumize, and to construct TB, admittedly, the
known outcome 𝐲∗
yields the same value of TB as would 𝐱∗
.
[B]: Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[𝐱∗
] = Infr 𝐸 𝐵
[𝐲∗
].
 This is based on the convex combination of the two experiments, and
differs from both Infr 𝐸1
[ 𝐱∗] and Infr 𝐸2
[𝐲∗
].
(2) But given y*
, the WCP says do not Birnbaumize (because it allows an
unperformed experiment to influence the inference from known y*!)

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 One cannot simultaneously claim to hold the WCP in relation to the
given 𝐲∗
, on pain of logical contradiction.
 Except in cases where WCP happens to make no difference.
 To claim for any 𝐱∗
, 𝐲∗
, the WCP never makes a difference would entail
that there can be no SLP violations, rendering the argument circular.
 Another possibility, would be to hold, as Birnbaum ultimately did, that
the SLP is “clearly plausible” (Birnbaum 1968, 301) only in “the
severely restricted case of a parameter space of just two points” where
these are predesignated (Birnbaum 1969, 128).
 That relinquishes the purported general result.

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RELATION TO OTHER CRITICISMS OF BIRNBAUM
There is no time to consider a number of critical discussions by Durbin
(1970), Kalbfleish (1975), and Evans, Fraser and Monette (1986)*.
 Kalbfleish: If we condition on the given experiment first, a revised
sufficiency principle is inapplicable
 Durbin: if we reduce to the minimal sufficient statistic first, then his
revised principle of conditionality cannot be applied.
So either way it fails.
However, they have been criticized as appealing to order as well as to
revised principles, whereas our argument does not.
*Evans, M. 2013 http://arxiv.org/abs/1302.5468

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