Statistical Significance and Effect Size
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Application: Statistical Significance and Effect Size
Suppose a terminal patient made the decision to participate in an experimental treatment program and had been reading the results of previous studies conducted with drug treatment X and drug treatment Y. She discovers that in previous studies, treatment X reported a cure rate of 95% and treatment Y reported a cure rate of 45%. It would be important for her to know whether the difference in cure rate is significant and whether the cure rate occurred by chance or because the treatment actually was effective. To answer this question, she would have to examine effect size, which is a measure of strength between two variables. In this case the two variables are the drug treatment and cure rate. It probably is easy for you to recognize the importance of effect size in a case like this. But effect size also is important to forensic psychology research.
To prepare for this assignment:
- Review Chapter 8 in your course text, Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences. Pay attention to the importance of statistical significance and effect size.
- Consider the relationship between statistical significance and effect size.
- Using the Walden Library, select and review two or three forensic psychology research articles where “effect size” was reported.
- Consider what role effect size played in the statistical significance of the studies you selected.
The assignment (1–3 pages):
- Explain the relationship between statistical significance and effect size.
- Explain the importance of effect size in the statistical significance of the studies you reviewed.
