Simpson's paradox, which also goes by several other names, is a phenomenon in probability and statistics, in which a trend appears in several different groups of data but disappears or reverses when these groups are combined. This result is often encountered in social-science and medical-science statistics and is particularly problematic when frequency data is unduly given causal interpretations. The paradox can be resolved when causal relations are appropriately addressed in the statistical modeling. It is also referred to as Simpson's reversal, Yule–Simpson effect, amalgamation paradox, or reversal paradox.