Hypothesis testing is a common statistical analysis for empirical data generated by studies of perception, but its properties and limitations are widely misunderstood. This Element describes several properties of hypothesis testing, with special emphasis on analyses common to studies of perception. The author also describes the challenges and difficulties with using hypothesis testing to interpret empirical data. Many common applications of hypothesis testing inflate the intended Type I error rate. Other aspects of hypothesis tests have important implications for experimental design. Solutions are available for some of these difficulties, but many issues are difficult to deal with.
Are you able to give your first impressions a second look? In this lighthearted and humorous take on life, Knox McCoy explores questioning and examining long-held ideas that no longer represent how we think. What would it mean to really examine what you think you know about yourself and your beliefs? To not just rely on the cliches you’ve always recited to yourself but to look deeply into why you think what you think? In All Things Reconsidered, popular podcaster Knox McCoy uses a unique blend of humor, pop culture references, and personal stories to show how a willingness to reconsider ideas can actually help us grow ourselves, our lives, and our beliefs. In this laugh-out-loud defense of changing your mind, Knox dives into a variety of topics including: Are participation trophies truly the worst? Is it really worth it to be a ride-or-die sports fan? Do we believe in God because of the promise of heaven—or the threat of hell? Does prayer work? Is anyone even there? In a world where we’re divided by political, social, and religious differences, All Things Reconsidered is a hilarious and insightful book of essays that reminds us of the value of reflection and open-mindedness.
Language Testing Reconsidered provides a critical update on major issues that have engaged the field of language testing since its inception. Anyone who is working in, studying or teaching language testing should have a copy of this book. The information, discussions, and reflections offered within the volume address major developments within the field over the past decades, enlivened by current "takes" on these issues. The real value of this collection, however, lies in its consideration of the past as a means of defining the future agenda of language testing.
Examining the major approaches to hypothesis testing and model selection, this book blends statistical theory with recommendations for practice, illustrated with real-world social science examples. It systematically compares classical (frequentist) and Bayesian approaches, showing how they are applied, exploring ways to reconcile the differences between them, and evaluating key controversies and criticisms. The book also addresses the role of hypothesis testing in the evaluation of theories, the relationship between hypothesis tests and confidence intervals, and the role of prior knowledge in Bayesian estimation and Bayesian hypothesis testing. Two easily calculated alternatives to standard hypothesis tests are discussed in depth: the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The companion website ([ital]www.guilford.com/weakliem-materials[/ital]) supplies data and syntax files for the book's examples.
This book explains the misuses and abuses of Null Hypothesis Significance Tests, which are reconsidered in light of Jeffreys’ Bayesian concept of the role of statistical inference, in experimental investigations. Minimizing the technical aspects, the studies focuses mainly on methodological contributions. The first part of the book gives an overview of the major approaches to statistical testing and an enlightening discussion of the philosophies of Fisher, Neyman-Pearson and Jeffrey. The conceptual and methodological implications of current practices of reporting effect sizes and confidence intervals are also examined and challenged. This sheds new light on the "significance testing controversy" and provides an appropriate Bayesian framework for a comprehensive approach to the analysis and interpretation of experimental data. The second part of the book provides concrete Bayesian routine procedures that bypass common misuses of significance testing and are readily applicable in a wide range of real applications. This approach addresses the need for objective reporting of experimental data, that is acceptable to the scientific community. This is emphasized by the name fiducial (from the Latin fiducia = confidence). The fiducial Bayesian procedures provide the reader with a real opportunity to think sensibly about problems of statistical inference. This book prepares students and researchers to critically read statistical analyses reported in the literature and equips them with an appropriate alternative to the use of significance testing.
In the last ten years the neuroscience of language has matured as a field. Ten years ago, neuroimaging was just being explored for neurolinguistic questions, whereas today it constitutes a routine component. At the same time there have been significant developments in linguistic and psychological theory that speak to the neuroscience of language. This book consolidates those advances into a single reference. The Handbook of the Neuroscience of Language provides a comprehensive overview of this field. Divided into five sections, section one discusses methods and techniques including clinical assessment approaches, methods of mapping the human brain, and a theoretical framework for interpreting the multiple levels of neural organization that contribute to language comprehension. Section two discusses the impact imaging techniques (PET, fMRI, ERPs, electrical stimulation of language cortex, TMS) have made to language research. Section three discusses experimental approaches to the field, including disorders at different language levels in reading as well as writing and number processing. Additionally, chapters here present computational models, discuss the role of mirror systems for language, and cover brain lateralization with respect to language. Part four focuses on language in special populations, in various disease processes, and in developmental disorders. The book ends with a listing of resources in the neuroscience of language and a glossary of items and concepts to help the novice become acquainted with the field. Editors Stemmer & Whitaker prepared this book to reflect recent developments in neurolinguistics, moving the book squarely into the cognitive neuroscience of language and capturing the developments in the field over the past 7 years. - History section focuses on topics that play a current role in neurolinguistics research, aphasia syndromes, and lesion analysis - Includes section on neuroimaging to reflect the dramatic changes in methodology over the past decade - Experimental and clinical section reflects recent developments in the field
In this Element, a framework is proposed in which it is assumed that visual selection is the result of the interaction between top-down, bottom-up and selection-history factors. The Element discusses top-down attentional engagement and suppression, bottom-up selection by abrupt onsets and static singletons as well as lingering biases due to selection-history entailing priming, reward and statistical learning. We present an integrated framework in which biased competition among these three factors drives attention in a winner-take-all-fashion. We speculate which brain areas are likely to be involved and how signals representing these three factors feed into the priority map which ultimately determines selection.
This work brings together a selection of Clinical Forum features from the journal "Aphasiology". The fora are designed to cover issues in clinical aphasiology which are central, topical and controversial. Each forum concerns a main article and a number of commentaries.
