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On the significance of effects and the effects of significance

Publication ,  Journal Article
Cooper, HM
Published in: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
January 1, 1981

Discusses 3 issues in applying and interpreting effect-size (ES) estimation in psychological research. First, criteria for choosing an appropriate ES metric and the advisability of adopting a single ES (PV, or the percent of shared variance) for all research is examined. A common metric would (a) forfeit information about study design and (b) permit imprecise problem definitions. Further, the different design-related metrics suggested by J. Cohen (1977) neither enhance nor trivialize the relations they describe. Ways are suggested to substantively evaluate magnitudes of effect within specific topic areas. The interpretive yardsticks include (a) multiple choices of contrasting effect sizes, (b) practical significance, and (c) research methodology. The most informative ES interpretation occurs when ES is compared to other ESs involving the same or similar variables. Finally, the value of reporting significance tests along with effect sizes is scrutinized. The two statistics are not completely redundant since ES cannot indicate that an effect size of zero has been effectively ruled out. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1981 American Psychological Association.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI

ISSN

0022-3514

Publication Date

January 1, 1981

Volume

41

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1013 / 1018

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
  • 1505 Marketing
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Cooper, H. M. (1981). On the significance of effects and the effects of significance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41(5), 1013–1018. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.41.5.1013
Cooper, H. M. “On the significance of effects and the effects of significance.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 41, no. 5 (January 1, 1981): 1013–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.41.5.1013.
Cooper HM. On the significance of effects and the effects of significance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1981 Jan 1;41(5):1013–8.
Cooper, H. M. “On the significance of effects and the effects of significance.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 41, no. 5, Jan. 1981, pp. 1013–18. Scopus, doi:10.1037/0022-3514.41.5.1013.
Cooper HM. On the significance of effects and the effects of significance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1981 Jan 1;41(5):1013–1018.

Published In

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI

ISSN

0022-3514

Publication Date

January 1, 1981

Volume

41

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1013 / 1018

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
  • 1505 Marketing