Random assignment uses chance to assign subjects to the control and treatment groups in an experiment. This process helps ensure that the groups are equivalent at the beginning of the study, which makes it safer to assume the treatments caused any differences between groups that the experimenters observe at the end of the study. [Read more…] about Random Assignment in Experiments
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5 Steps for Conducting Scientific Studies with Statistical Analyses
The scientific method is a proven procedure for expanding knowledge through experimentation and analysis. It is a process that uses careful planning, rigorous methodology, and thorough assessment. Statistical analysis plays an essential role in this process.
In an experiment that includes statistical analysis, the analysis is at the end of a long series of events. To obtain valid results, it’s crucial that you carefully plan and conduct a scientific study for all steps up to and including the analysis. In this blog post, I map out five steps for scientific studies that include statistical analyses. [Read more…] about 5 Steps for Conducting Scientific Studies with Statistical Analyses
Percentiles: Interpretations and Calculations
Percentiles indicate the percentage of scores that fall below a particular value. They tell you where a score stands relative to other scores. For example, a person with an IQ of 120 is at the 91st percentile, which indicates that their IQ is higher than 91 percent of other scores.
Percentiles are a great tool to use when you need to know the relative standing of a value. Where does a value fall within a distribution of values? While the concept behind percentiles is straight forward, there are different mathematical methods for calculating them. In this post, learn about percentiles, special percentiles and their surprisingly flexible uses, and the various procedures for calculating them. [Read more…] about Percentiles: Interpretations and Calculations
New eBook Release! Regression Analysis: An Intuitive Guide
I’m thrilled to announce the release of my first ebook! Regression Analysis: An Intuitive Guide for Using and Interpreting Linear Models.
If you like the clear writing style I use on this website, you’ll love this book! The end of the post displays the entire table of contents! You can also download a Free Sample that includes the complete Table of Contents and the first two chapters. Go to My Store to download the ebook sample. [Read more…] about New eBook Release! Regression Analysis: An Intuitive Guide
Using Confidence Intervals to Compare Means
To determine whether the difference between two means is statistically significant, analysts often compare the confidence intervals for those groups. If those intervals overlap, they conclude that the difference between groups is not statistically significant. If there is no overlap, the difference is significant.
While this visual method of assessing the overlap is easy to perform, regrettably it comes at the cost of reducing your ability to detect differences. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem that allows you to perform a simple visual assessment and yet not diminish the power of your analysis.
In this post, I’ll start by showing you the problem in action and explain why it happens. Then, we’ll proceed to an easy alternative method that avoids this problem. [Read more…] about Using Confidence Intervals to Compare Means