Chapter 9 of 10All chapters
Chapter 9 of 10
How to read a study
Practical scepticism.
Questions to ask
Who were the participants, how many, was it randomised, what was actually measured, and how large was the effect in real terms?
- Much of the field studies university students in wealthy countries.
- Statistical significance says nothing about practical importance.
Correlation again
Most psychology outside the laboratory is correlational. Headlines routinely upgrade an association into a cause, sometimes without the researchers involved.