Research withourt TearsWhat are we looking at, and how big is it?
Section snippets
What are we looking at, and how big is it?
In Kaplan's (1994) article on outcomes in health research, he used the comic strip Ziggy to present a fundamental principle regarding the careful choice of dependent variables in intervention outcome research. In the comic strip, Ziggy climbs a mountain to ask a Guru, ‘What is the meaning of life?’ The Guru responds with, ‘Ah yes… the meaning of life, my boy, is doin' stuff!!’ Ziggy questions the Guru, ‘Life is doin' stuff?… that's it?’ The Guru responds, ‘As opposed to death, which is NOT
Conclusion
Rather than defenestrate significance testing, as some would suggest (e.g. Cohen, 1994, Gigerenzer, 1993), we argue that researchers need to report and interpret effect sizes and p values (cf. Andersen and Stoové, 1998, Thomas et al., 1991). Of perhaps more significance in research where outcomes relate to the health status or functionality of clients or patients, is choosing variables that are important in determining well-being and quality of life, and making a priori decisions about what
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Will Hopkins for enlightening this paper and the sports sciences in general. The authors would also like to thank Herbert Badgery and Eddie Wysbraum for their valued suggestions and inspired commentary.
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