Case Study

Identify and diagnose the error in the researcher's conclusion. Use the findings from Oakes (1986) to explain how common this specific misinterpretation is among professionals and what it indicates about research methodology understanding.

Case context: A psychological researcher conducts an independent-samples tt-test with 2020 participants in each sample and obtains a pp-value of 0.010.01. The researcher concludes that because the study achieved this level of significance, there is a 99%99\% probability that an identical replication of the study will yield the same significant results.

Question: Identify and diagnose the error in the researcher's conclusion. Use the findings from Oakes (1986) to explain how common this specific misinterpretation is among professionals and what it indicates about research methodology understanding.

Sample answer: The researcher incorrectly equates the pp-value of 0.010.01 with a 99%99\% probability of replication. According to Oakes (1986), this is a highly common misconception, as 60%60\% of professional researchers fell into this exact trap under the same study conditions (independent-samples tt-test with 2020 participants per group and p=0.01p = 0.01). This indicates a widespread misunderstanding of statistical significance that exists even among experienced psychological researchers.

Key points:

  • Diagnose the error of treating a pp-value as the probability of replication.
  • Apply the findings of Oakes (1986) where 60%60\% of professional researchers made this mistake under identical test conditions.
  • Justify why this error demonstrates a widespread misunderstanding of statistical significance in the scientific field.

Rubric: To receive full credit, the response must: 1) Diagnose the researcher's error of interpreting the pp-value of 0.010.01 as a 99%99\% replication probability; 2) Reference Oakes (1986) to note that 60%60\% of professional researchers shared this exact misconception; 3) Explain that this reflects a widespread misunderstanding of statistical significance among experienced professionals.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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