False Positive
False Positive is scary in QA Testing
In testing, a False positive happens when a particular test passed when in fact that it should have failed. This usually happens when tests are not clearly written to catch errors.
Having a lot of failures missed by automation will certainly question the overall value automation brings to the team.
While most people think of False Positive in software automation or medical tests. Here's a unique perspective to False Positive.
Haunted Mansion Ride Example
At Disneyland Haunted Mansion, Disney has a lot of sensors all over the ride. They are set up to make sure foreign objects are not thrown from the doom buggy. When an object is detected the ride stops to alert security.
Every once in a while, someone manages to throw something into the graveyard without the sensors going off.
The false positive in this situation is that the motion sensors indicate everything is fine and the ride should continue.
The situation is usually fixed within 24-hours but the person responsible got away with it.
Audit Tests that pass
If tests are consistently passing you may want to audit them. Perhaps the test is too specific and may need some additional validation statements to help make the test more efficient.