Hi Marc- Not only do I abhor the term "highly significant" I also dislike the term "significant". I always taught my students to use the term "statistically reliable" instead. "significant" implies that the results are important. That is a value judgement which should be made after careful consideration of a whole host of non-statistical factors. There was also a paper published a number of years ago (sorry, no reference and no access to the library right now) which showed that people ascribed more value to results which were labeled "significant" than those which were described as non-chance findings.
-Don. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marc Carter" <[email protected]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 22, 2013 11:03:04 AM Subject: [tips] Polling... Hi, All -- A poll: Am I being too picky about the use of the phrase, "highly significant" (or something similar) when it's used to describe a very low-probability result? It sort of drives me crazy; all I can hear is my graduate math stats teacher threatening to kill us if we ever said something like that. I still read it in papers and it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. But perhaps I should just chill out? What do you think? m -- Marc Carter, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology Chair, Department of Behavioral and Health Sciences College of Arts & Sciences Baker University -- 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=13157.966b795bc7f3ccb35e3da08aebe98f18&n=T&l=tips&o=25137 or send a blank email to leave-25137-13157.966b795bc7f3ccb35e3da08aebe98...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- 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=25155 or send a blank email to leave-25155-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
