Rhetorical Inflation

Rhetorical inflation refers to the use of exaggerated or overly assertive language to make study results, arguments, or conclusions appear more significant, definitive, or impactful than the underlying evidence justifies.

• Overstating clinical significance (e.g., “effective treatment” based on marginal or non-significant findings)
• Using emotionally charged or persuasive phrasing to mask methodological limitations
• Drawing strong conclusions from weak, exploratory, or underpowered data
• Presenting correlation as causation without acknowledging alternative explanations

• Claiming “breakthrough” or “landmark” results from a small, single-center pilot study
• Asserting “optimal dosing identified” in a post hoc secondary analysis
• Using phrases like “robust benefit,” “clearly effective,” or “clinically proven” without statistical support

• Misleads readers, clinicians, and policymakers
• Contributes to publication bias and false expectations
• Undermines evidence-based medicine by elevating rhetoric over rigor

• Conceptual Ambiguity
• Overgeneralization
• Publication Bias
• Scientific Spin

• How to critically read a scientific article
• Language Bias in Medical Literature