WEEK #4(b) - research methods Flashcards
what is significance testing based on ?
the statistical properties of sample data
what can we extrapolate “estimate” with significance testing ?
the probability of the observed differences or relationships occurring in the target population
what are we assuming in regards to significance testing ?
that the sample data is representative and that that data meets the assumptions associated with the inferential test
who developed significance testing ?
Ronald Fisher (1920s-1930s)
TRUE OR FALSE
agricultural research designs couldn’t be fully experimental because natural variations such as weather and soil quality couldn’t be fully controlled
TRUE
what are some criticisms of significance testing ?
- the null hypothesis is rarely true
- no clinical effect / no change
what does significance testing provide :
- a binary decision (yes or no)
- direction of the effect
what does statistical significance simply mean ?
that the observed effect (relationship or differences) are unlikely to be due to sampling error
TRUE OR FALSE
statistical significance can be evident for very small (trivial) effects if N and/or critical alpha are large enough
TRUE
what does level of significance (aka alpha) represent ?
the probability of obtaining your results due to chance
the smaller the value is, what does this mean for level of significance (alpha) ?
the more “unusual” the results, indicting that the sample is from a different population than its being compared to (for example)
what happens if p-values fall below significance level for statistical significance alpha ?
we say that the results from the test are statistically significant
what happens if p > a ?
then FAIL TO REJECT the null hypothesis
what happens if p < a ?
then REJECT the null hypothesis
TRUE OR FALSE
alpha does not represent your chance of making a type 1 error
FALSE
alpha DOES represent your chance of making a type 1 error
define power beta :
refers to your study’s ability to find a difference if there is one
the greater the power, what does this mean ?
the more meaningful your results are
what does beta = ?
1 - power
FILL IN THE BLANK
beta represents the chance of making a __________
type 2 error
in regards to power beta what do you incorrectly fail to reject ?
the null
what is the desirable power of beta ?
desirable power > .80
what is the typical power of power beta ?
typical power around 60
when does power become higher ?
when there is an increase in sample size (N), critical alpha (a), and effect size (delta)
based on what can we calculate expected power before conducting a study ( a priori) :
- estimated N
- critical alpha
- expected or minimum effect size )from related research)
what is effect size ?
a measure of the strength (size) of a relationship or effect