Things I have learned (so far).

1990/12/01 by Jacob Cohen · 14 citations
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · #Mental Health Research Topics #Philosophy and History of Science

paper · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.45.12.1304

openalex publication_date 1990/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

This is an account of what I have learned (so far) about the application of statistics to psychology and the other sociobiomedical sciences. It includes the principles less is (fewer variables, more highly targeted issues, sharp rounding off), simple is better (graphic representation, unit weighting for linear composites), and some things you learn aren't so. I have learned to avoid the many misconceptions that surround Fisherian null hypothesis testing. I have also learned the importance of power analysis and the determination of just how big (rather than how statistically significant) are the effects that we study. Finally, I have learned that there is no royal road to statistical induction, that the informed judgment of the investigator is the crucial element in the interpretation of data, and that things take time.

Citations

• Three Steps Towards Robust Regression
• The robust beauty of improper linear models in decision making.
• Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences

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• Anxiety sensitivity and self-reported alcohol consumption rates in university women
• Primary error detection and minimization (PEDMIN) strategies in social cognition: A reinterpretation of confirmation bias phenomena.
• How do laypeople define empathy?
• Effect size, confidence interval and statistical significance: a practical guide for biologists
• Accuracy of Effect Size Estimates from Published Psychological Research
• Unit-weighted regression [wikipedia]