The correlation of .19 may be significant, but the magnitude of the relationship is still quite modest. For example, it might be true that in a study involving 5.000. second-year graduate students in clinical psychology across the nation, there is a correlation of 15 between their GRE scores and faculty ratings of academic competence. Even though the relationship is not a chance one, the actual importance is rather small. Most of the variance in faculty ratings is due to factors other than GRE scores. In some cases, a correlation of 15 may be judged important, but in many instances, it is not. At the same time, we should remember that accepting significance levels of .05 as non-chance represents a kind of scientific tradition, but it is not sacred. Other information may persuade us, in certain cases, that significance levels of .07 or 09, for example, should be taken seriously.

Is it a statistical significance always a practical significance?

A finding is considered statistically significant when it is highly unlikely to have occurred due to random chance alone. In the context of inferential statistics, achieving statistical significance suggests that the results represent a genuine, real effect within the broader population.

Statistically Significant

It  is important to distinguish between statistical significance and practical significance when interpreting statistical results.

Syracuse University

Overview of some of the principal methods, strategies, and issues in clinical research.

Research Methodology in Clinical Psychology

Trull , T. J., &amp; Prinstein , M. J. (2013). Research Methods in Clinical Psychology . In Clinical Psychology (Eighth, pp. 93–124). Textbook, Wadsworth Cengage Learning . 

Clinical Psychology Eighth Edition 

Statistical vs. Practical Significance 

- It allows us to escape the realm of pure speculation or appeal to authority
- Helps us extend and modify our theories as well as establish their parsimony and utility
- The enhancement of our ability to predict and understand the behavior, feelings, and thoughts of the people served by clinical psychologists

Purposes of Research 

There are many methods of research utilized in Clinical Psychology. 

Methods of Research in Clinical Psychology

Research involves significant ethical considerations, as participants have rights and investigators have responsibilities towards them. The American Psychological Association published an updated set of ethical standards in 2002. However, these guidelines were not always applied in the past, and historical studies often involved major ethical violations that prompted the development of modern standards.

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