Explain what it means when a researcher finds significant results in a statistical test that has a low effect size.
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: Effect size is the measure involving the magnitude of the relationship between variables within a study. If a researcher finds significant results in a statistical test that has a low effect size, it means that the results may not be meaningful in a practical sense or may be due to something other than what the researcher initially considered.
List three reasons why a study may be considered invalid.
Explain the difference between a Type I significance error and a Type II significance error.
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: A Type I significance error occurs when a researcher claims to have found significant support for a hypothesis when there is not enough support to make this claim. A Type II significance error occurs when a researcher claims to have found no significant support for a hypothesis when there is actually enough to claim significance.
The number of participants within a study influences the amount of statistical power a test attains.
Explain why it is important to be skeptical of statistical results reported in the media.
Explain why having low statistical power could be considered a limitation for a statistical test.
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: Low statistical power could be considered a limitation in statistics because statistical power refers to the probability of correctly finding adequate support for a research hypothesis. If a statistical test has low power, then it is limited in finding adequate support. As a result, this increases the probability of making statistical significance errors and could lead to a researcher making inaccurate assumptions or misinterpreting statistical data.
Explain how critical value variations influence statistical power.
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: If a researcher establishes the critical values of a study to be more conservative, the more power the researcher has in finding significant support for a hypothesis. In the same sense, the less conservative the established critical values are, the less power a researcher has in finding significant support for a hypothesis.
Although statistics may be limiting for individuals in some ways, explain its overall importance in advancing societal issues concerning tolerance and diversity.
Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: Statistics is important in advancing societal issues concerning tolerance and diversity because it helps to promote positive change. For example, if researchers find repeated statistical support that students with learning disabilities show improvement in academic performance after implementing an alternative learning program, then action towards improving conditions for various learning levels is more likely to occur. Statistics also advances levels of tolerance within societies as it assists in exploring alternative opinions, experiences, and beliefs of other cultures or minorities. This allows society to gain a better understanding or broader perspective of interpersonal relationships.
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