Elusive alpha and beta control in a multicausal world

• Verfasst von: Fiedler, Klaus [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Elusive alpha and beta control in a multicausal world
• Verf.angabe: Klaus Fiedler
• E-Jahr: 2020
• Jahr: 20 Jan 2020
• Umfang: 9 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 23.12.2020
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Basic & applied social psychology
• Ort Quelle: New York, NY : Psychology Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 1980
• Jahr Quelle: 2020
• Band/Heft Quelle: 42(2020), 2, Seite 79-87
• ISSN Quelle: 1532-4834
• DOI: doi:10.1080/01973533.2020.1714622
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• K10plus-PPN: 1743533845

Abstract

Virtually all scientific outlets, including the most prestigious journals, have implemented strict rules of α and (1-β) control, supposed to quantify the probability of a significant result assuming H0 and H1, respectively. However, estimation of α and β rests on the untenable assumption that a systematic effect ΔY in the dependent variable cannot be brought about by any other causal influence than the influence ΔX stated in H1 and negated in H0. Yet, in a given study, empirical evidence on ΔY related to ΔX can always reflect extraneous causal influences, because no treatment or measurement tool affords a pure measure of X and Y, respectively. Consequently, α and β cannot quantify error probabilities in specific studies.