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Median splits, Type II errors, and false-positive consumer psychology: Don't fight the power

Publication ,  Journal Article
McClelland, GH; Lynch, JG; Irwin, JR; Spiller, SA; Fitzsimons, GJ
Published in: Journal of Consumer Psychology
October 1, 2015

Considerable prior statistical work has criticized replacing a continuously measured variable in a general linear model with a dichotomy based on a median split of that variable. Iacobucci, Posovac, Kardes, Schneider, and Popovich (2015-in this issue) defend the practice of "median splits" using both conceptual arguments and simulations. We dispute their conceptual arguments, and we have identified technical errors in their simulations that dramatically change the conclusions that follow from those simulations. We show that there are no real benefits to median splits, and there are real costs in increases in Type II errors through loss of power and increases in Type I errors through false-positive consumer psychology. We conclude that median splits remain a bad idea.

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Published In

Journal of Consumer Psychology

DOI

ISSN

1057-7408

Publication Date

October 1, 2015

Volume

25

Issue

4

Start / End Page

679 / 689

Related Subject Headings

  • Marketing
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 3506 Marketing
  • 1701 Psychology
  • 1505 Marketing
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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McClelland, G. H., Lynch, J. G., Irwin, J. R., Spiller, S. A., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2015). Median splits, Type II errors, and false-positive consumer psychology: Don't fight the power. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(4), 679–689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2015.05.006
McClelland, G. H., J. G. Lynch, J. R. Irwin, S. A. Spiller, and G. J. Fitzsimons. “Median splits, Type II errors, and false-positive consumer psychology: Don't fight the power.” Journal of Consumer Psychology 25, no. 4 (October 1, 2015): 679–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2015.05.006.
McClelland GH, Lynch JG, Irwin JR, Spiller SA, Fitzsimons GJ. Median splits, Type II errors, and false-positive consumer psychology: Don't fight the power. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2015 Oct 1;25(4):679–89.
McClelland, G. H., et al. “Median splits, Type II errors, and false-positive consumer psychology: Don't fight the power.” Journal of Consumer Psychology, vol. 25, no. 4, Oct. 2015, pp. 679–89. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2015.05.006.
McClelland GH, Lynch JG, Irwin JR, Spiller SA, Fitzsimons GJ. Median splits, Type II errors, and false-positive consumer psychology: Don't fight the power. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 2015 Oct 1;25(4):679–689.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Consumer Psychology

DOI

ISSN

1057-7408

Publication Date

October 1, 2015

Volume

25

Issue

4

Start / End Page

679 / 689

Related Subject Headings

  • Marketing
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 3506 Marketing
  • 1701 Psychology
  • 1505 Marketing