The present study investigates the roles of Maori cultural identity and socio-economic status in educational outcomes in a New Zealand birth cohort studied from birth to the age of 25. There were statistically significant (all p values less than 0.01) associations between cultural identity and educational outcomes, with those of Maori ethnic…

Students' perceptions of actual and preferred classroom environment were investigated using the "What is happening in this class? questionnaire" (WIHIC). The WIHIC assesses seven classroom environment dimensions: student cohesiveness, teacher support, involvement, task orientation, investigation, cooperation and equity. A sample of 978…

Research in the field of attribution theory and academic achievement suggests a relationship between a student's attributional style and achievement. Theorists and researchers contend that attributions influence individual reactions to success and failure. They also report that individuals use attributions to explain and justify their performance.…

The ability to read is essential to school-based learning and skilled responding in an information rich society. Unfortunately, many students in today's schools do not become skilled readers. Many reading researchers (Blachman 1996, 1997; Felton, 1993; Fletcher & Lyon, 1998; Torgesen, 1997) agree that the vast majority of problems experienced…

Editorial practices revolving around tests of statistical significance are explored. The logic of statistical significance testing is presented in an accessible manner--many people who use statistical tests might not place such a premium on them if they knew what the tests really do, and what they do not do. The etiology of decades of misuse of…

The use of directional and nondirectional hypothesis testing was examined from the perspectives of textbooks, journal articles, and members of editorial boards. Three widely used statistical texts were reviewed in terms of how directional and nondirectional tests of significance were presented. Texts reviewed were written by: (1) D. E. Hinkle, W.…

Statistical significance is often misinterpreted to mean replicability or generalizability of results, although a statistically significant difference does not equal a reliable difference. Sample splitting procedures may be a more accurate way of estimating research result generalizability. This type of cross-validation involves randomly dividing…

The contribution of individual variables to overall multivariate significance in a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) is investigated using a combination of canonical discriminant analysis and Roy-Bose simultaneous confidence intervals. Difficulties with this procedure are discussed, and its advantages are illustrated using examples based…

An explanation of the misuse of statistical significance testing and the true meaning of "significance" is offered. Literature about the criticism of current practices of researchers and publications is reviewed in the context of tests of significance. The problem under consideration occurs when researchers attempt to do more than just establish…

The random variable p and its functions figure in several "tests of combined significance," meta-analysis summaries based on sample significance values, and ps have been used singly, as well as in other tests for evaluating the outcomes of individual research studies. In this work, asymptotic distributions of the sample one-sided…

Describes the MANOVA (multivariate analysis of variance) Computer Program for ascertaining whether k groups differ significantly from one another on p dependent variables. (Author/RC)

This paper considers the case of two predictor variables. Figures are obtained which show the regions of significance of joint regression coefficients, regression coefficients considered separately, and the multiple correlation. The intersection of these regions of significance and non-significance illustrates how the various apparent…

Describes some of the situations in which a psychologist is likely to violate the assumption of independent errors. A Monte-Carlo study of the effects of this violation is then described. (Author/RC)

When investigating differences between two sets of scores, the t test is appropriate. If the two sets of data are from two groups of subjects, then the independent t test is appropriate. If the two sets are from the same subjects, the dependent t test is required. In this paper, the authors describe the use of a third test when part of a data set…