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Alpha Is Not the False Alarm Rate: An Activity to Dispel a Common Statistical Misconception

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Title: Alpha Is Not the False Alarm Rate: An Activity to Dispel a Common Statistical Misconception
Language: English
Authors: Thompson, W. Burt
Source: Teaching of Psychology. Jan 2019 46(1):72-79.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2019
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Statistical Analysis, Hypothesis Testing, Misconceptions, Data Interpretation, Probability, Research Problems, Undergraduate Students, Psychology, Research Methodology
DOI: 10.1177/0098628318816156
ISSN: 0098-6283
Abstract: When a psychologist announces a new research finding, it is often based on a rejected null hypothesis. However, if that hypothesis is true, the claim is a false alarm. Many students mistakenly believe that the probability of committing a false alarm equals alpha, the criterion for statistical significance, which is typically set at 5%. Instructors should take specific steps to dispel this belief because it leads students to misinterpret statistical test results and it reinforces the more general misconception that results can be interpreted in isolation, without reference to theory or prior research. In the present study, students worked with a web app that shows how the false alarm rate is a function of the prior probability of an effect, statistical power, and alpha. Quiz scores suggest the activity helps correct the misconception, which can improve how students conduct and interpret research.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 29
Entry Date: 2018
Accession Number: EJ1200194
Database: ERIC
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  Data: When a psychologist announces a new research finding, it is often based on a rejected null hypothesis. However, if that hypothesis is true, the claim is a false alarm. Many students mistakenly believe that the probability of committing a false alarm equals alpha, the criterion for statistical significance, which is typically set at 5%. Instructors should take specific steps to dispel this belief because it leads students to misinterpret statistical test results and it reinforces the more general misconception that results can be interpreted in isolation, without reference to theory or prior research. In the present study, students worked with a web app that shows how the false alarm rate is a function of the prior probability of an effect, statistical power, and alpha. Quiz scores suggest the activity helps correct the misconception, which can improve how students conduct and interpret research.
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