Probability distribution

Portrays the relative likelihood that a range of values is the true value of a treatment effect (or other outcome or result). This distribution may follow the form of a particular function, e.g., a normal, chi square, binomial, or Poisson distribution. An estimate of the most likely true value of the treatment effect is the value at the highest point of the distribution. The area under the curve between any two points along the range gives the probability that the true value of the treatment effect lies between those two points. Thus, a probability distribution can be used to determine an interval that has a designated probability (e.g. 95%) of including the true value of the treatment effect.