Marketing Seminar Series. "Novel approach to quantitative research in social sciences: Replacing power analyses and significance testing with the a priori procedure and gain-probability analyses"
Published: 28 February 2024
16 May. Professor David Trafimow, New Mexico State University
Professor David Trafimow, New Mexico State University
"Novel approach to quantitative research in social sciences: Replacing power analyses and significance testing with the a priori procedure and gain-probability analyses"
Thursday, 16 May. 3 p.m.
Room 492 ASBS PGT Building
Abstract
Standard statistical procedure for quantitative researchers comprises a two-step process. Before data collection, researchers perform power analyses, and after data collection, they perform significance tests. Many have proffered arguments that significance tests are unsound, but even for aficionados, there is the usual disclaimer that null hypothesis significance tests provide extremely limited information, thereby rendering them vulnerable to misuse.
An alternative provides information more useful to researchers. Following the new approach, the goal switches from significance testing to probabilistic advantages or disadvantages. Moreover, the a priori procedure, with its focus on parameter estimation, replaces conventional power analysis. This talk introduces quantitative researchers to data collection and analysis strategies that embrace this new approach.
Bio
David Trafimow is Distinguished Achievement Professor of Psychology at New Mexico State University, USA. His research focuses on the intersection of philosophy of science, social science theory, and social science methodology. This interest has led him to propose a taxonomy of research assumptions, suggest alternatives to power analysis and significance testing, develop novel measurement approach that dramatically improves criterion prediction, and reconceptualise internal and external validity. He has published a recent book, Methodological issues in psychology: Concept, method, and measurement. Too, he has published numerous philosophical, conceptual and methodological articles in top psychology journals such as Psychological Review, Psychological Methods, Perspectives on Psychological Science, and American Psychologist. He has branched outside of psychology to business journals such as Journal of Business Research, Organizational Research Methods (where he won Best Quantitative Paper of the Year), and Asian Journal of Economics and Banking (where he won Outstanding Paper). Finally, he is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, editor of Basic and Applied Social Psychology, and on the Stanford List of top 2% academics worldwide.
For further information, please contact business-school-research@glasgow.ac.uk
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First published: 28 February 2024