In reading that article, I was left feeling that the author was insinuating that something was wrong with the use of statistics in inference, but really the larger point he made was that statistics is hard for many to understand, and so stats are often misused.
This then seems to me to be more a problem with education in the appropriate use of statistical inference, and less a problem with statistical inference. Did anyone else get that feeling? m -- Marc Carter, PhD Associate Professor and Chair Department of Psychology College of Arts & Sciences Baker University -- > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 10:45 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: [tips] Odds are, it's wrong > > Remember that article on the misuse of statistics in science > which I apparently rashly endorsed? > http://tinyurl.com/yh7sk7r > > Well, the _American Scientist_ newsletter reports that it is > "one of the all-time most viewed news items by subscribers to > Science in the News Daily". Of course, that says nothing > about whether it was a good or bad article, only that it > evoked much interest (or its title, anyway). > > Locally, two of our authoritative sources on statistics > weighed in on it, and both found the article sadly wanting. > But wait... > > One trashed it because "There is little here that hasn't been > written about and widely known since the 1960s." > > In other words, ho-hum, we already knew that. > > The other said: "For me the only "it" that is wrong is this > article ... in many ways" > > Can they both be right? > > (For the record, I agree with Chris that the content of the > article is not largely new, but the author does have some > nifty recent references in support, and it seems to me > worthwhile to have the issues effectively re-stated as he > does. I also acknowledge that Jim has contributed some > thoughtful critical comments. In other words, I'm going to > sit on the fence on this one. But I do not think the essay > has a hidden agenda to defend the evil drug industry. I > checked. Tom Siegfried has an impressive record as a science > journalist.) > > Stephen > > -------------------------------------------- > Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. > Professor of Psychology, Emeritus > Bishop's University > e-mail: sblack at ubishops.ca > 2600 College St. > Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 > Canada > -------------------------------------------------------------- > --------- > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13029.76c7c563b32ad9d8d09c72 > a2d17c90e1&n=T&l=tips&o=1466 > or send a blank email to > [email protected] > tburg.edu > The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by Baker University ("BU") and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify Baker University by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=1478 or send a blank email to leave-1478-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
