Hi On 21 Mar 2003, Dennis Roberts wrote:
> At 09:55 PM 3/21/03 +0000, Jerry Dallal wrote: > >dennis roberts wrote: > > > > > could someone give an example or two ... of how p values have really > > > advanced our knowledge and understanding of some particular phenomenon? > > > >Pick up any issue of JAMA or NEJM. > > no ... that is not sufficient ... just to look at a journal ... where p > values are used ... does not answer the question above ... that's circular > and just shows HOW they are used ... not what benefit is derived FROM there use > > i would like an example or two where ... one can make a cogent argument > that p ... in it's own right ... helps us understand the SIZE of an effect > ... the IMPORTANCE of an effect ... the PRACTICAL benefit of an effect > > maybe you could select one or two instances from an issue of the journal > ... and lay them out in a post? Am I missing something ... isn't it important to determine whether an effect has a low probability of occurring by chance? If an effect could have too readily occurred by chance, then its size would not seem to matter much and there is no reason to think that it has practical benefit in general. No one is saying that p values are the be all and end all, but neither does that mean they have no value for their intended purpose (i.e., identifying outcomes that are readily explained by random factors). Best wishes Jim ============================================================================ James M. Clark (204) 786-9757 Department of Psychology (204) 774-4134 Fax University of Winnipeg 4L05D Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 [EMAIL PROTECTED] CANADA http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~clark ============================================================================ . . ================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . =================================================================
