Needed: A Ban on the Significance Test
- 1 January 1997
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Psychological Science
- Vol. 8 (1) , 3-7
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00534.x
Abstract
The significance test as currently used is a disaster Whereas most researchers falsely believe that the significance test has an error rate of 5%, empirical studies show the average error rate across psychology is 60%–12 times higher than researchers think it to be The error rate for inference using the significance test is greater than the error rate using a coin toss to replace the empirical study The significance test has devastated the research review process Comprehensive reviews cite conflicting results on almost every issue Yet quantitatively accurate review of the same results shows that the apparent conflicts stem almost entirely from the high error rate for the significance test If 60% of studies falsely interpret their primary results, then reviewers who base their reviews on the interpreted study “findings” will have a 100% error rate in concluding that there is conflict between study resultsKeywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- Statistical significance testing and cumulative knowledge in psychology: Implications for training of researchers.Psychological Methods, 1996
- The earth is round (p < .05).American Psychologist, 1994
- The efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment: Confirmation from meta-analysis.American Psychologist, 1993
- Things I have learned (so far).American Psychologist, 1990
- Do studies of statistical power have an effect on the power of studies?Psychological Bulletin, 1989
- The statistical power of abnormal-social psychological research: A review.The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1962
- Directional statistical decisions.Psychological Review, 1960