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Based on the standard guidelines for interpreting Cohen's dd in psychological research, explain why the researcher's interpretation of their finding as a 'small' difference is incorrect. Provide the correct interpretation and explain what Cohen's dd represents in this context.

Case context: A clinical psychologist evaluates the effectiveness of a new mindfulness-based intervention compared to a control group. After conducting the study, the researcher computes a Cohen's dd of 0.520.52 for the difference in anxiety scores between the two groups. In their draft paper, they describe this effect size as a 'small' difference between the group means.

Question: Based on the standard guidelines for interpreting Cohen's dd in psychological research, explain why the researcher's interpretation of their finding as a 'small' difference is incorrect. Provide the correct interpretation and explain what Cohen's dd represents in this context.

Sample answer: The researcher's interpretation is incorrect because, according to standard guidelines, an effect size of 0.520.52 is near 0.500.50 and indicates a medium difference between group means, whereas a small difference is represented by a value near 0.200.20. Cohen's dd represents the magnitude of the difference between the group means.

Key points:

  • Explains that a Cohen's dd of 0.520.52 is close to 0.500.50 and indicates a medium difference, not a small one.
  • Notes that a small difference is typically associated with a value near 0.200.20.
  • Explains that Cohen's dd measures the magnitude of the difference between group means.

Rubric: The response must explain that a value of 0.520.52 is close to the benchmark of 0.500.50, which corresponds to a medium difference, rather than the benchmark of 0.200.20 for a small difference. It must also define Cohen's dd as a measure of the difference between group means.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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