Learn Before
The 2015 Ban on Null Hypothesis Testing
In 2015, the editors of the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology took the unprecedented step of banning the use of null hypothesis testing and -values in its publications. Instead of relying on traditional statistical significance thresholds to evaluate validity, the editors required authors to focus heavily on descriptive statistics and effect sizes. Although this ban was not widely adopted across the field, it significantly amplified the ongoing conversation in psychology about the limitations of the 'gold standard' of statistical validity.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Don't make such black and white interpretations
Report effect sizes
Factors Determining the p-value
Test Statistic
Misinterpretations of the p-value
Alpha (Level of Significance)
p-hacking
The 2015 Ban on Null Hypothesis Testing
Alpha Criterion
What does a p value represent in the context of psychological research?
If a psychology researcher calculates a p-value of 0.08, they will typically declare the experimental result to be statistically significant.
A social psychologist is analyzing data from four different studies. Based on the standard thresholds for statistical significance provided in the table, match each study's obtained p value with its correct interpretation.
A psychologist is comparing findings across four different research studies. Based on the definition of a p value and the significance thresholds provided in the table, arrange these findings in order from the outcome LEAST likely to have occurred by chance to the outcome MOST likely to have occurred by chance.
According to the standard threshold of significance () in psychology, a research result is typically declared significant if the probability of it occurring purely by chance is less than in how many?
Misinterpretation of the p Value
Determinants of the Value
Based on the significance thresholds provided in the table and the definition of a value, match each statistical label with the correct description of its probability occurring purely by chance.
A researcher obtains a value of and labels the result 'highly significant' (). According to standard significance thresholds, where and , this labeling is _____.
A cognitive psychologist conducts an experiment on learning styles and calculates a value of . Applying the standard threshold of significance () described in the text, the researcher should declare this result to be statistically significant.
According to the standard threshold of significance (), a psychological research result is typically declared significant if the probability of the outcome occurring purely by chance is less than 1 in _____.
Evaluate the following three experimental results and arrange them in order from the outcome representing the lowest probability of occurring purely by chance (1) to the outcome representing the highest probability of occurring purely by chance (3).
t-Test
Outcomes of a Null Hypothesis Test
Informativeness of Null Hypothesis Testing
Defense of Null Hypothesis Testing
The 2015 Ban on Null Hypothesis Testing
Effect Size
Confidence Interval
Criticisms of Null Hypothesis Testing
Mehl's Study on Talkativeness
Kanner's Study on Hassles and Symptoms
Logic of Null Hypothesis Testing
What is the primary purpose of null hypothesis testing in psychological research?
If a researcher wants to evaluate whether an observed difference between two sample groups is just a coincidence rather than a real effect, they would use null hypothesis testing.
A social psychologist is investigating the 'Bystander Effect' to see if the presence of others reduces the speed of helping. Arrange the logical steps of the Null Hypothesis Testing process in the correct order as they would be applied to this specific research scenario.
In psychological research, null hypothesis testing requires researchers to distinguish between initial assumptions, mathematical thresholds, and formal conclusions about the population. Match each term with its specific logical interpretation within this framework.
Reject the Null Hypothesis
-Test
In the field of psychological research, null hypothesis testing is recognized as the most common approach to which branch of statistics?
Null hypothesis testing involves several interconnected concepts and decision points. Match each term with the statement that best describes its role in the null hypothesis testing process.
In the formal process of null hypothesis testing, a researcher evaluates the probability () that an observed result occurred by random chance. If this probability is lower than the significance threshold (), the researcher makes the final evaluative judgment to _____ the null hypothesis.
Dr. Smith conducts an experiment on a sample of participants and finds that those who receive a new cognitive training show higher memory scores than those who do not. To evaluate whether this observed difference is likely just a fluke of random chance or if it reflects a genuine difference in the broader population, Dr. Smith should use null hypothesis testing.
Null hypothesis testing is the most common approach to _____ statistics in psychological research, serving as a structured process to decide between random chance and genuine population relationships.
Arrange the steps a researcher takes when using null hypothesis testing to evaluate a research outcome, from the initial conceptual setup to the final population-level judgment.
Learn After
In 2015, the editors of the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology took an unprecedented step regarding statistical reporting. What did they require authors to do instead of reporting traditional null hypothesis tests and p-values?
In 2015, the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology implemented a controversial change in its reporting standards. Match each aspect of this policy change with its correct description.
A psychologist conducting an experiment on social influence finds that a high-status source changes opinions more than a low-status source (, ). According to the 2015 reporting standards of the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology, the researcher is expected to highlight the mean differences and the effect size while omitting the -value from their manuscript.
Analyze the logical progression behind the 2015 decision by the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology to ban null hypothesis testing. Arrange the following statements in the order that reflects the journal's rationale for shifting the standards of statistical validity.
Following the 2015 ban on null hypothesis testing by the journal 'Basic and Applied Social Psychology', what was the resulting impact on the broader field of psychology?
The 2015 ban on null hypothesis testing by the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology was intended to shift the focus of psychological research away from binary 'significant vs. non-significant' outcomes and toward the magnitude of effects.
The 2015 ban on null hypothesis testing by the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology was intended to challenge the field's reliance on binary significance thresholds; instead of using -values, the editors required authors to evaluate the strength and practical importance of their findings primarily by reporting _____.