Geoff Cummings
Biographic Data
| ID | 3655372 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Geoff Cummings |
| GIVEN NAMES | Geoff |
| FAMILY NAME | Cummings |
| SIGNATURE | CUMMINGS G |
| AFFILIATIONS | La Trobe University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1716-5277 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 98 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1977 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
From significance testing to estimation and Open Science
We argue that researchers should test less, estimate more, and adopt Open Science practices. We outline some of the flaws of null hypothesis significance testing and take three approaches to demonstrating the unreliability of the p value. We explain some advantages of estimation and meta‐analysis (“the new statistics”), especially as contributions to Open Science practices, which aim to increase the openness, integrity, and replicability of resea…
A Tribute to the Mind, Methodology and Mentoring of Wayne Velicer
Wayne Velicer is remembered for a mind where mathematical concepts and calculations intrigued him, behavioral science beckoned him, and people fascinated him. Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on March 4, 1944, he was raised on a farm, although early influences extended far beyond that beginning. His Mathematics BS and Psychology minor at Wisconsin State University in Oshkosh, and his PhD in Quantitative Psychology from Purdue led him to a fruitful an…
Confidence Intervals
A confidence interval (CI) is an interval estimate of a population parameter. It is a range of values, calculated from data, which is likely to include the true value of the parameter. When a newspaper reports “support for the government is 43 percent, in a poll with an error margin of 3 percent,” the 43 percent is a point estimate of the true level of support in the population. The CI is 43 ± 3 percent, or (40, 46 percent). The 3 percent is half…
The New Statistics
We need to make substantial changes to how we conduct research. First, in response to heightened concern that our published research literature is incomplete and untrustworthy, we need new requirements to ensure research integrity. These include prespecification of studies whenever possible, avoidance of selection and other inappropriate data-analytic practices, complete reporting, and encouragement of replication. Second, in response to renewed …
Interpreting effect sizes
Improved research practice is based on estimation of effect sizes rather than statistical significance. We discuss the challenging task of interpreting effect sizes in the research context, with particular attention to social psychological research. We emphasize the need to acknowledge the uncertainty in an effect size estimate, as signaled by the confidence interval. Interpretation must consider the independent variables, participants, measures,…
Understanding The New Statistics
This is the first book to introduce the new statistics - effect sizes, confidence intervals, and meta-analysis - in an accessible way. It is chock full of practical examples and tips on how to analyze and report research results using these techniques. The book is invaluable to readers interested in meeting the new APA Publication Manual guidelines by adopting the new statistics - which are more informative than null hypothesis significance testi…
The New Statistics
Estimation, based on effect sizes (ESs) and confidence intervals (CIs), is much better than null hypothesis significance testing (NHST). I refer to estimation and meta‐analysis—which is the extension of estimation to multiple studies—as the new statistics. The techniques themselves are not new, but using them would for many psychologists be new, and a highly beneficial advance. I describe a six‐step strategy for estimation, which starts with the …
Effect Size Estimation and Confidence Intervals
We describe a six-step estimation framework for research that starts with the formulation of research goals in terms of “How much?” questions. Such questions are best answered by effect size (ES) estimates and confidence intervals (CIs) calculated from data, where the ESs estimates and CIs are point and interval estimates of population parameters. These estimates usually provide the best basis for the interpretation of research findings. Such an …
Inference by eye
When 95 per cent confidence intervals (CIs) on independent means do not overlap, the two‐tailed p ‐value is less than 0.05 and there is a statistically significant difference between the means. However, p for non‐overlapping 95 per cent CIs is actually considerably smaller than 0.05: If the two CIs just touch, p is about 0.01, and the intervals can overlap by as much as about half the length of one CI arm before p becomes as large as 0.05. Keepin…
Reducing Overconfidence in the Interval Judgments of Experts
Elicitation of expert opinion is important for risk analysis when only limited data are available. Expert opinion is often elicited in the form of subjective confidence intervals; however, these are prone to substantial overconfidence. We investigated the influence of elicitation question format, in particular the number of steps in the elicitation procedure. In a 3-point elicitation procedure, an expert is asked for a lower limit, upper limit, a…
Confidence Intervals
A confidence interval (CI) is an interval estimate of a population parameter. It is a range of values, calculated from data, that is likely to include the true value of the population parameter. When a newspaper reports “support for the government is 43 percent, in a poll with an error margin of 3 percent,” the 43 percent is a point estimate of the true level of support in the whole population. The CI is 43 ± 3 percent, or (40, 46 percent). The 3…
Inference by Eye
Wider use in psychology of confidence intervals (CIs), especially as error bars in figures, is a desirable development. However, psychologists seldom use CIs and may not understand them well. The authors discuss the interpretation of figures with error bars and analyze the relationship between CIs and statistical significance testing. They propose 7 rules of eye to guide the inferential use of figures with error bars. These include general princi…
Past and Future American Psychological Association Guidelines for Statistical Practice
We review the publication guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1929 and document their advice for authors about statistical practice. Although the advice has been extended with each revision of the guidelines, it has largely focused on null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) to the exclusion of other statistical methods. In parallel, we review over 40 years of critiques of NHST in psychology. Until now, the critiqu…
A Primer on the Understanding, Use, and Calculation of Confidence Intervals That Are Based on Central and Noncentral Distributions
Colloquium on Effect Sizes
Reformers have long argued that misuse of Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) is widespread and damaging. The authors analyzed 150 articles from the Journal of Applied Psychology ( JAP) covering 1940 to 1999. They examined statistical reporting practices related to misconceptions about NHST, American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, and reform recommendations. The analysis reveals (a) inconsistency in reporting alpha and p valu…
Reporting of Statistical Inference in the Journal of Applied Psychology
A Primer on the Understanding, Use, and Calculation of Confidence Intervals that are Based on Central and Noncentral Distributions
Reform of statistical practice in the social and behavioral sciences requires wider use of confidence intervals (CIs), effect size measures, and meta-analysis. The authors discuss four reasons for promoting use of CIs: They (a) are readily interpretable, (b) are linked to familiar statistical significance tests, (c) can encourage meta-analytic thinking, and (d) give information about precision. The authors discuss calculation of CIs for a basic s…
The expansion of postgraduate and early-career research
We draw on information gathered as part of the Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research to discuss the expansion in postgraduate research in psychology that is currently occurring in Australia, and the position of early-career psychologists. Both PhD and professional coursework enrolments are increasing markedly. Given the tight constraints on academic staff numbers and general research funding, postgraduate research will co…
Professional training in psychology and academic staff profiles in Australian universities
We draw on information gathered as part of the Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research to discuss the provision of professional training in psychology. The number of students undertaking such training is increasing, and marked further increases in demand are expected, although the introduction of full fees is a complicating factor. The overall profiles of age and appointment level of academic staff in departments of psychol…
On-line lexical resources for language learners
Are Disabled Readers Delayed or Different? An Approach Using an Objective Miscue Analysis
S ummary . The question of whether the reading behaviour of disabled readers is qualitatively different from that of normally reading children has as yet received no clearcut answer. An objectively scored and simplified version of the Goodman miscue analysis system was developed as a means of comparing the use of various reading cues by Grade 4 disabled readers and Grade 2 normal readers whose reading level was psychometrically equivalent. The di…
Computers come to school, but psychology hasn't noticed
Children are beginning to learn about computers at school, but more fundamental changes in their education will occur as computers are used across the whole curriculum. Although some psychologists are playing pioneering roles, the discipline of psychology seems largely unaware of the deep changes just starting in education. Yet psychology has the methodology and subject matter knowledge to make a central contribution. In addition, computers in re…
A group approach to the introductory statistics course in psychology
The statistics course given as part of Psychology I in 1976 is described. The course was a modified group Keller course in which the 230 students were assigned to mixed ability groups of 4–6 which worked through the 11 units of course material under the guidance of paid student proctors. Students were required to work together in their groups. Progress was primarily self-paced, but deadlines were set. The course material was organised to stress t…
Inference by Eye
Wider use in psychology of confidence intervals (CIs), especially as error bars in figures, is a desirable development. However, psychologists seldom use CIs and may not understand them well. The authors discuss the interpretation of figures with error bars and analyze the relationship between CIs and statistical significance testing. They propose 7 rules of eye to guide the inferential use of figures with error bars. These include general princi…
On-line lexical resources for language learners
Interpreting effect sizes
Improved research practice is based on estimation of effect sizes rather than statistical significance. We discuss the challenging task of interpreting effect sizes in the research context, with particular attention to social psychological research. We emphasize the need to acknowledge the uncertainty in an effect size estimate, as signaled by the confidence interval. Interpretation must consider the independent variables, participants, measures,…
The New Statistics
Estimation, based on effect sizes (ESs) and confidence intervals (CIs), is much better than null hypothesis significance testing (NHST). I refer to estimation and meta‐analysis—which is the extension of estimation to multiple studies—as the new statistics. The techniques themselves are not new, but using them would for many psychologists be new, and a highly beneficial advance. I describe a six‐step strategy for estimation, which starts with the …
Professional training in psychology and academic staff profiles in Australian universities
We draw on information gathered as part of the Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research to discuss the provision of professional training in psychology. The number of students undertaking such training is increasing, and marked further increases in demand are expected, although the introduction of full fees is a complicating factor. The overall profiles of age and appointment level of academic staff in departments of psychol…
A group approach to the introductory statistics course in psychology
The statistics course given as part of Psychology I in 1976 is described. The course was a modified group Keller course in which the 230 students were assigned to mixed ability groups of 4–6 which worked through the 11 units of course material under the guidance of paid student proctors. Students were required to work together in their groups. Progress was primarily self-paced, but deadlines were set. The course material was organised to stress t…
A group approach to the introductory statistics course in psychology
The statistics course given as part of Psychology I in 1976 is described. The course was a modified group Keller course in which the 230 students were assigned to mixed ability groups of 4–6 which worked through the 11 units of course material under the guidance of paid student proctors. Students were required to work together in their groups. Progress was primarily self-paced, but deadlines were set. The course material was organised to stress t…
Computers come to school, but psychology hasn't noticed
Children are beginning to learn about computers at school, but more fundamental changes in their education will occur as computers are used across the whole curriculum. Although some psychologists are playing pioneering roles, the discipline of psychology seems largely unaware of the deep changes just starting in education. Yet psychology has the methodology and subject matter knowledge to make a central contribution. In addition, computers in re…
Are Disabled Readers Delayed or Different? An Approach Using an Objective Miscue Analysis
S ummary . The question of whether the reading behaviour of disabled readers is qualitatively different from that of normally reading children has as yet received no clearcut answer. An objectively scored and simplified version of the Goodman miscue analysis system was developed as a means of comparing the use of various reading cues by Grade 4 disabled readers and Grade 2 normal readers whose reading level was psychometrically equivalent. The di…
On-line lexical resources for language learners
The expansion of postgraduate and early-career research
We draw on information gathered as part of the Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research to discuss the expansion in postgraduate research in psychology that is currently occurring in Australia, and the position of early-career psychologists. Both PhD and professional coursework enrolments are increasing markedly. Given the tight constraints on academic staff numbers and general research funding, postgraduate research will co…
Professional training in psychology and academic staff profiles in Australian universities
We draw on information gathered as part of the Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research to discuss the provision of professional training in psychology. The number of students undertaking such training is increasing, and marked further increases in demand are expected, although the introduction of full fees is a complicating factor. The overall profiles of age and appointment level of academic staff in departments of psychol…
A Primer on the Understanding, Use, and Calculation of Confidence Intervals That Are Based on Central and Noncentral Distributions
Colloquium on Effect Sizes
Reformers have long argued that misuse of Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) is widespread and damaging. The authors analyzed 150 articles from the Journal of Applied Psychology ( JAP) covering 1940 to 1999. They examined statistical reporting practices related to misconceptions about NHST, American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, and reform recommendations. The analysis reveals (a) inconsistency in reporting alpha and p valu…
Reporting of Statistical Inference in the Journal of Applied Psychology
A Primer on the Understanding, Use, and Calculation of Confidence Intervals that are Based on Central and Noncentral Distributions
Reform of statistical practice in the social and behavioral sciences requires wider use of confidence intervals (CIs), effect size measures, and meta-analysis. The authors discuss four reasons for promoting use of CIs: They (a) are readily interpretable, (b) are linked to familiar statistical significance tests, (c) can encourage meta-analytic thinking, and (d) give information about precision. The authors discuss calculation of CIs for a basic s…
Past and Future American Psychological Association Guidelines for Statistical Practice
We review the publication guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1929 and document their advice for authors about statistical practice. Although the advice has been extended with each revision of the guidelines, it has largely focused on null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) to the exclusion of other statistical methods. In parallel, we review over 40 years of critiques of NHST in psychology. Until now, the critiqu…
Inference by Eye
Wider use in psychology of confidence intervals (CIs), especially as error bars in figures, is a desirable development. However, psychologists seldom use CIs and may not understand them well. The authors discuss the interpretation of figures with error bars and analyze the relationship between CIs and statistical significance testing. They propose 7 rules of eye to guide the inferential use of figures with error bars. These include general princi…
Confidence Intervals
A confidence interval (CI) is an interval estimate of a population parameter. It is a range of values, calculated from data, that is likely to include the true value of the population parameter. When a newspaper reports “support for the government is 43 percent, in a poll with an error margin of 3 percent,” the 43 percent is a point estimate of the true level of support in the whole population. The CI is 43 ± 3 percent, or (40, 46 percent). The 3…
Inference by eye
When 95 per cent confidence intervals (CIs) on independent means do not overlap, the two‐tailed p ‐value is less than 0.05 and there is a statistically significant difference between the means. However, p for non‐overlapping 95 per cent CIs is actually considerably smaller than 0.05: If the two CIs just touch, p is about 0.01, and the intervals can overlap by as much as about half the length of one CI arm before p becomes as large as 0.05. Keepin…
Reducing Overconfidence in the Interval Judgments of Experts
Elicitation of expert opinion is important for risk analysis when only limited data are available. Expert opinion is often elicited in the form of subjective confidence intervals; however, these are prone to substantial overconfidence. We investigated the influence of elicitation question format, in particular the number of steps in the elicitation procedure. In a 3-point elicitation procedure, an expert is asked for a lower limit, upper limit, a…
Effect Size Estimation and Confidence Intervals
We describe a six-step estimation framework for research that starts with the formulation of research goals in terms of “How much?” questions. Such questions are best answered by effect size (ES) estimates and confidence intervals (CIs) calculated from data, where the ESs estimates and CIs are point and interval estimates of population parameters. These estimates usually provide the best basis for the interpretation of research findings. Such an …
Understanding The New Statistics
This is the first book to introduce the new statistics - effect sizes, confidence intervals, and meta-analysis - in an accessible way. It is chock full of practical examples and tips on how to analyze and report research results using these techniques. The book is invaluable to readers interested in meeting the new APA Publication Manual guidelines by adopting the new statistics - which are more informative than null hypothesis significance testi…
The New Statistics
Estimation, based on effect sizes (ESs) and confidence intervals (CIs), is much better than null hypothesis significance testing (NHST). I refer to estimation and meta‐analysis—which is the extension of estimation to multiple studies—as the new statistics. The techniques themselves are not new, but using them would for many psychologists be new, and a highly beneficial advance. I describe a six‐step strategy for estimation, which starts with the …
The New Statistics
We need to make substantial changes to how we conduct research. First, in response to heightened concern that our published research literature is incomplete and untrustworthy, we need new requirements to ensure research integrity. These include prespecification of studies whenever possible, avoidance of selection and other inappropriate data-analytic practices, complete reporting, and encouragement of replication. Second, in response to renewed …
Interpreting effect sizes
Improved research practice is based on estimation of effect sizes rather than statistical significance. We discuss the challenging task of interpreting effect sizes in the research context, with particular attention to social psychological research. We emphasize the need to acknowledge the uncertainty in an effect size estimate, as signaled by the confidence interval. Interpretation must consider the independent variables, participants, measures,…
Confidence Intervals
A confidence interval (CI) is an interval estimate of a population parameter. It is a range of values, calculated from data, which is likely to include the true value of the parameter. When a newspaper reports “support for the government is 43 percent, in a poll with an error margin of 3 percent,” the 43 percent is a point estimate of the true level of support in the population. The CI is 43 ± 3 percent, or (40, 46 percent). The 3 percent is half…
A Tribute to the Mind, Methodology and Mentoring of Wayne Velicer
Wayne Velicer is remembered for a mind where mathematical concepts and calculations intrigued him, behavioral science beckoned him, and people fascinated him. Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on March 4, 1944, he was raised on a farm, although early influences extended far beyond that beginning. His Mathematics BS and Psychology minor at Wisconsin State University in Oshkosh, and his PhD in Quantitative Psychology from Purdue led him to a fruitful an…
From significance testing to estimation and Open Science
We argue that researchers should test less, estimate more, and adopt Open Science practices. We outline some of the flaws of null hypothesis significance testing and take three approaches to demonstrating the unreliability of the p value. We explain some advantages of estimation and meta‐analysis (“the new statistics”), especially as contributions to Open Science practices, which aim to increase the openness, integrity, and replicability of resea…
Psychology (16 works) · Statistics (16 works) · Computer Science (14 works) · Mathematics (14 works) · Meta-analysis and systematic reviews (12 works) · Econometrics (11 works) · Confidence interval (8 works) · Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials (7 works) · Artificial Intelligence (6 works) · Artificial Intelligence (6 works)