Makes the case that science is best served when researchers focus on the size of effects and their practical significance. Advocates the use of confidence intervals for deciding whether chance or sampling variability is an unlikely explanation for an observed effect. Calls for more emphasis on effect sizes in the next edition of the American…

Presents a quick and simple exercise that demonstrates what is meant by the term "statistically insignificant." Demonstrates the bell curve distribution, the relationship of a sample to the population it is supposed to estimate, and the t-test. (DDR)

Explains statistical significance so reference librarians can better understand users' information needs who ask statistics-related reference questions. Highlights include the t-test; bell curve, or Central Limit Theorem; reference interview theory; and analysis of variance. (LRW)

Investigates significance tests as a tool for helping to identify real effects in the face of random variation. Speculates that equivalence tests improve the logic of significance testing when demonstrating similarity is important. Reverse tests can help show that failure to reject a null hypothesis does not support that hypothesis. (Contains 30…

Highlights the significance of what happens when scientists cite and paraphrase the conclusions of past research. Discusses the implications of changing the hedges that describe the uncertainty of the conclusions, which in turn can change the uncertainty of past results. (Contains 42 references.) (DDR)

Introduction: Written action plans (WAPs) are instructions that enable asthmatics to manage their condition appropriately and are recommended by current asthma clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). However, general practitioners (GPs) rarely draft WAPs for their patients. An interactive, case-based workshop for asthma, combined with an objective…

P. A. Frazier, A. P. Tix, and K. E. Barron (2004) highlighted a normal theory method popularized by R. M. Baron and D. A. Kenny (1986) for testing the statistical significance of indirect effects (i.e., mediator variables) in multiple regression contexts. However, simulation studies suggest that this method lacks statistical power relative to some…

In mean and covariance structure analysis, the chi-square difference test is often applied to evaluate the number of factors, cross-group constraints, and other nested model comparisons. Let model M[a] be the base model within which model M[b] is nested. In practice, this test is commonly used to justify M[b] even when M[a] is misspecified. The…

Wider use in psychology of confidence intervals (CIs), especially as error bars in figures, is a desirable development. However, psychologists seldom use CIs and may not understand them well. The authors discuss the interpretation of figures with error bars and analyze the relationship between CIs and statistical significance testing. They propose…

In this article, the authors (a) illustrate how displaying disattenuated correlation coefficients alongside their unadjusted counterparts will allow researchers to assess the impact of unreliability on bivariate relationships and (b) demonstrate how a proposed new "what if reliability" analysis can complement null hypothesis significance…

This study was designed to determine whether the length of time living in the United States negatively correlates with the ethnic identity of first generation Haitian high school students. The population cohort was a convenience sample of 83 Haitian high school students that included 41 females and 42 males. Phinney's Multi-Group Ethnic Identity…

A sample of 58 students in career and technology teacher education and training and development was surveyed to determine self-perception as to their competency in five constructs containing 43 elements related to personal computer knowledge and skills. In an analysis of all computer knowledge and skill elements combined, there was no…

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the effects of remedial reading instruction on the basic reading skills of elementary and middle school students with high-incidence disabilities (n = 45) and their comparison condition counterparts (n = 23); and (b) to examine the relative responsiveness of participating students with…

This investigation examined the comparative effects of "Reading Success Level B" on the reading comprehension skills of 78 fifth graders across three general education classrooms. Three student subgroups were formed based on pretest Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) reading levels including high (n = 14), average (n = 50), and low (n = 14)…

This study evaluates the reliability of self-assessment as a measure of computer competence. This evaluation is carried out in response to recent research which has employed self-reported ratings as the sole indicator of students' computer competence. To evaluate the reliability of self-assessed computer competence, the scores achieved by students…