Must an “effect” always be a causal effect? Is it not also reasonable to speak of a statistical effect, so long as we keep the two meanings distinct?
Chris ….. Christopher D Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 43.773895°, -79.503670° [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo orcid.org/0000-0002-6027-6709 ………………………………... On Jul 18, 2017, at 2:55 PM, Stuart McKelvie <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Dear Dap and Tipsters, > > Here is my opinion: > > The term “effect” is sometimes used loosely and wrongly when correlational > research has been conducted. A better term in this case would be > “relationship”. > > It has been argued that longitudinal studies may permit the term “effect” if > they are based on sophisticated correlational designs with statistical > controls (e.g. path analysis), but this is by no means accepted. In any case, > longitudinal designs are not usually of this kind. The major problem is that > longitudinal design are usually involve subject variables. > > The gold standard for studies that demonstrate cause and effect is the true > experimental design. Of course, if does not guarantee that a causal > relationship has been demonstrated, but it is our best bet, in my opinion. > > Sincerely, > > Stuart > > > ___________________________________________________________________________ > "Floreat Labore" > > <image010.jpg> > "Recti cultus pectora roborant" > > Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D., Phone: 819 822 9600 x 2402 > Department of Psychology, Fax: 819 822 9661 > Bishop's University, > 2600 rue College, > Sherbrooke, > Québec J1M 1Z7, > Canada. > > E-mail: [email protected] (or [email protected]) > > Bishop's University Psychology Department Web Page: > http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy > > Floreat Labore" > > <image011.jpg> > > <image012.jpg> > ___________________________________________________________________________ > > > > > From: Dap Louw [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: July-18-17 2:28 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: [tips] Opinions needed > > > > > > Tipsters > > I am well aware that (and often frustrated by) all sorts of buzz words, > concepts, theories, etc become the flavour of the month/year in > organizations, including universities. I would therefore appreciate your > viewpoint on the following, especially as research methodology is not my > field of specialization: > > To what extent can we measure ‘effect’? In the last 40 years in Psychology > I’ve been involved in hundreds of studies on “The effect of ……… (television > on …; poverty on ….., etc, etc)”. BTW, when I used ‘ “the effect of" > psychology’ in Google Scholar search I got 2 460 000 results. However: > > According to the latest recommendations of our University’s Research > Committee we cannot measure effect unless you make use of especially the > longitudinal design. Therefore any title such as “The effect of ……… > (television on …; poverty on ….., etc, etc)” is unacceptable and should be > replaced by “the perceived effect of …..” or something similar. Is this a > case of methodology or semantics? > > > > I look forward to hearing from you. It’s high time to get the TIPS ball > rolling again! > > Regards from this side of the ocean. > > Dap > > <image013.jpg> > Dap Louw > Extraordinary Professor: Psychology > Buitengewone Professor: Sielkunde > Faculty / Fakulteit: The Humanities / Geesteswetenskappe > PO Box / Posbus 339, Bloemfontein 9300, Republic of South Africa / Republiek > van Suid-Afrika > <image014.jpg>27(0)43 841 1193 > <image015.jpg>27(0)83 391 8331 > <image016.jpg>[email protected] > <image017.png><image018.png><image019.png> > <image020.jpg> > <image021.jpg> > > > > > University of the Free State: > This message and its contents are subject to a disclaimer. > Please refer to http://www.ufs.ac.za/disclaimer for full details. > > Universiteit van die Vrystaat: > Hierdie boodskap en sy inhoud is aan 'n vrywaringsklousule onderhewig. > Volledige besonderhede is by http://www.ufs.ac.za/disclaimer vrywaring > beskikbaar. > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13510.2cc18398df2e6692fffc29a610cb72e3&n=T&l=tips&o=51053 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-51053-13510.2cc18398df2e6692fffc29a610cb7...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=51054 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-51054-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@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=51055 or send a blank email to leave-51055-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
