11 - Understanding Research Results: Statistical Inference

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UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH. RESULTS: ... in populations of scores based on a sample of data from that population ... due to the IV. ✓ Statistical Significance: Unlikely to be due to chance alone ... Calculating Effect Size (r, Cohen's d, , etc.).
UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH RESULTS: STATISTICAL INFERENCE

A FEW TERMS

A FEW TERMS

SAMPLES AND POPULATIONS 9 Inferential statistics are necessary because 9The results of a given study are based on data obtained from a single sample of researcher participants and 9Data are not based on an entire population of scores 9 Allows conclusions on the basis of sample data

INFERENTIAL STATISTICS 9 Allow researchers to make inferences about the true differences in populations of scores based on a sample of data from that population 9 Allows that the difference between sample means reflects random error rather than a real difference

NULL AND RESEARCH HYPOTHESES 9 Null Hypothesis 9H0: Population Means are Equal 9Any differences between groups are due to chance alone 9 Research Hypothesis 9H1: Population Means are Not Equal 9Any differences between groups are due to the IV 9 Statistical Significance: Unlikely to be due to chance alone

PROBABILITY AND SAMPLING DISTRIBUTIONS 9 Probability: The Case of ESP 9Are correct answers due to chance or due to something more? 9 Sampling Distributions 9Assumes Null is True 9Binomial Distributions 9 Sample Size

THE T TEST 9 t value is a ratio of two aspects of the data 9The difference between the group means and 9The The variability within groups t=

between-groups difference within-groups difference

SAMPLING DISTRIBUTION OF T VALUES

EXAMPLE: THE T AND F TESTS 9 Degrees of Freedom 9The number of scores that are free to vary when making an estimate. 9 One-Tailed vs. Two-Tailed Tests 9Directional vs. vs Nondirectional Hypotheses? 9 The F Test (analysis of variance) 9Systematic Systematic variance / Between Between-Groups Groups Variance 9Error variance / Within-Groups Variance

ONE-TAILED VS. TWO-TAILED TESTS What is a directional hypothesis?

Is a one-tailed test valid?

EXAMPLE: THE T AND F TESTS 9 Calculating Effect Size (r, Cohen’s d, η p , etc.) 2

9 Confidence Intervals and Statistical Significance 9 Statistical Significance

TYPE I AND TYPE II ERRORS 9 Type I Errors 9Made when the null hypothesis is rejected but the null hypothesis yp is actuallyy true 9Obtained when a large value of t or F is obtained by chance alone 9 Type yp II Errors 9Made when the null hypothesis is accepted although in the population the research hypothesis is true 9Factors related to making a Type II error 9Significance (alpha) level 9Sample size 9Effect size

TYPE I AND TYPE II ERRORS

THE EVERYDAY CONTEXT OF TYPE I AND TYPE II ERRORS

SIGNIFICANCE LEVEL & STATISTICAL ERRORS 9 Researchers traditionally have used either a .05 or a .01 significance level in the decision to reject the null hypothesis 9 A Agreementt that th t the th consequences off making ki a Type T I error are more serious than those associated with a Type II error 9Arlo’s Two Cents: It depends on context. 9 9e.g., A new drug d which hi h may cure AIDS 9 Interpreting p g nonsignificant g results 9Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. 9Nothing is ever proven or disproven!

CHOOSING A SAMPLE SIZE: POWER ANALYSIS Power is a statistical test that determines optimal sample size based on probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis yp Power = 1 – p(Type II error) Eff Effect sizes i range and dd desired i d power

ƒ Smaller effect sizes require larger samples to be significant ƒ Higher desired power demands a greater sample size ƒ Researchers usually use a power between .70 70 and .90 90

IMPORTANCE OF REPLICATIONS Scientists attach little importance to results of a single study Detailed understanding requires numerous studies examining same variables i bl Researchers look at the results of studies that replicate previous investigations

SIGNIFICANE OF PEARSON’S R CORRELATION COEFFICIENT Is the correlation statistically significant? ƒ Ho: r = 0 ƒ H1: r ≠ 0 It is proper to conduct a t-test to compare the r-value with the null correlation of 0.00 ?

COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF DATA 9 Software Programs include 9SPSS 9SAS 9Minitab 9Microsoft Excel

9 Steps in analysis 9Input data

9Rows represent cases or each participant’s scores 9Columns represent p ap participant’s p score for a specific p variable

9Conduct analysis 9Interpret output

SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE SIGNIFICANCE TEST IV

DV

Statistical Test

Nominal Male-Female

Nominal Vegetarian – Yes / No

Chi Square

Nominal (2 Groups) Interval / Ratio Male-Female Grade Point Average

t test

Nominal (3 groups) Study time (Low, Medium, High)

Interval / Ratio Test Score

One-way ANOVA

Interval / Ratio Optimism Score

Interval / Ratio Sick Days Last Year

Pearson’s correlation

SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE SIGNIFICANCE TEST 9 Multiple Independent Variables 9Nominal Scale Data – ANOVA Factorial Design 9Ordinal Scale Data – no appropriate test is available 9Interval or Ratio Scale Data – Multiple Regression