Effect-Size Measures and Meta-Analytic Thinking in Counseling Psychology Research

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 601-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin K. Henson

Effect sizes are critical to result interpretation and synthesis across studies. Although statistical significance testing has historically dominated the determination of result importance, modern views emphasize the role of effect sizes and confidence intervals. This article accessibly discusses how to calculate and interpret the effect sizes that counseling psychologists use most frequently. To provide context, the author presents a brief history of statistical significance tests. Second, the author discusses the difference between statistical, practical, and clinical significance. Third, the author reviews and graphically demonstrates two common types of effect sizes, commenting on multivariate and corrected effect sizes. Fourth, the author emphasizes meta-analytic thinking and the potential role of confidence intervals around effect sizes. Finally, the author gives a hypothetical example of how to report and potentially interpret some effect sizes.

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 282
Author(s):  
Alexander Kurniadi ◽  
Elisabeth Siti Herini ◽  
Wahyu Damayanti

Background Epilepsy affects 1% of children worldwide. The highest incidence is in the first year of life, and perinatal factors, such as hypoxic-ischemic injury, infection, and cortical malformation may play etiologic roles. Breast milk contains optimal nutrients for human brain in early life. Breastfeeding has been associated with lower risk of infections, better cognitive and psychomotor development. However, the role of breastfeeding in preventing childhood epilepsy remains unclear. Objective To evaluate an association between exclusive breastfeeding and childhood epilepsy. Methods A case-control study conducted from 1 May to 3 July 2013 involving children with epilepsy aged 6 months to 18 years who were attending pediatric outpatient clinic of Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta. Neurologically normal children, individually matched by age and sex, visiting the same clinic were considered as controls. Exclusion criteria were children with structural brain abnormality, history of epilepsy in family, and who had history of neonatal seizure, intracranial infection, febrile seizure, and head trauma before onset of epilepsy. History of breastfeeding was obtained by interviewing the parents. The difference of exclusively breastfeeding proportion between cases and controls was analyzed by McNemar test. Results The total number of participants was 68 cases and controls each. Subjects with epilepsy had lower proportion of exclusively breastfed (48.5%) compared with controls (54.4%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.541). Exclusively breastfeeding showed no statistical significance in decreasing risk of epilepsy (OR=0.71; 95%CI 0.32 to 1.61). Conclusions Exclusive breastfeeding for 4-6 months has no effect against childhood epilepsy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 1045-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Lininger ◽  
Bryan L. Riemann

Objective: To describe confidence intervals (CIs) and effect sizes and provide practical examples to assist clinicians in assessing clinical meaningfulness. Background: As discussed in our first article in 2015, which addressed the difference between statistical significance and clinical meaningfulness, evaluating the clinical meaningfulness of a research study remains a challenge to many readers. In this paper, we will build on this topic by examining CIs and effect sizes. Description: A CI is a range estimated from sample data (the data we collect) that is likely to include the population parameter (value) of interest. Conceptually, this constitutes the lower and upper limits of the sample data, which would likely include, for example, the mean from the unknown population. An effect size is the magnitude of difference between 2 means. When a statistically significant difference exists between 2 means, effect size is used to describe how large or small that difference actually is. Confidence intervals and effect sizes enhance the practical interpretation of research results. Recommendations: Along with statistical significance, the CI and effect size can assist practitioners in better understanding the clinical meaningfulness of a research study.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
David M. Garner ◽  
Gláucia S. Barreto ◽  
Vitor E. Valenti ◽  
Franciele M. Vanderlei ◽  
Andrey A. Porto ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Approximate Entropy is an extensively enforced metric to evaluate chaotic responses and irregularities of RR intervals sourced from an eletrocardiogram. However, to estimate their responses, it has one major problem – the accurate determination of tolerances and embedding dimensions. So, we aimed to overt this potential hazard by calculating numerous alternatives to detect their optimality in malnourished children. Materials and methods: We evaluated 70 subjects split equally: malnourished children and controls. To estimate autonomic modulation, the heart rate was measured lacking any physical, sensory or pharmacologic stimuli. In the time series attained, Approximate Entropy was computed for tolerance (0.1→0.5 in intervals of 0.1) and embedding dimension (1→5 in intervals of 1) and the statistical significances between the groups by their Cohen’s ds and Hedges’s gs were totalled. Results: The uppermost value of statistical significance accomplished for the effect sizes for any of the combinations was −0.2897 (Cohen’s ds) and −0.2865 (Hedges’s gs). This was achieved with embedding dimension = 5 and tolerance = 0.3. Conclusions: Approximate Entropy was able to identify a reduction in chaotic response via malnourished children. The best values of embedding dimension and tolerance of the Approximate Entropy to identify malnourished children were, respectively, embedding dimension = 5 and embedding tolerance = 0.3. Nevertheless, Approximate Entropy is still an unreliable mathematical marker to regulate this.


Author(s):  
H. S. Styn ◽  
S. M. Ellis

The determination of significance of differences in means and of relationships between variables is of importance in many empirical studies. Usually only statistical significance is reported, which does not necessarily indicate an important (practically significant) difference or relationship. With studies based on probability samples, effect size indices should be reported in addition to statistical significance tests in order to comment on practical significance. Where complete populations or convenience samples are worked with, the determination of statistical significance is strictly speaking no longer relevant, while the effect size indices can be used as a basis to judge significance. In this article attention is paid to the use of effect size indices in order to establish practical significance. It is also shown how these indices are utilized in a few fields of statistical application and how it receives attention in statistical literature and computer packages. The use of effect sizes is illustrated by a few examples from the research literature.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anupamaa Seshadri ◽  
Ali Salim

The concept of “brain death” is one that has been controversial over time, requiring the development of clear guidelines to diagnose and give prognoses for patients after devastating neurologic injury. This review discusses the history of the definition of brain death, as well as the most recent guidelines and practice parameters on the determination of brain death in both the adult and pediatric populations. We provide specific and detailed instructions on the various clinical tests required, including the brain death neurologic examination and the apnea test, and discuss pitfalls in the diagnosis of brain death. This review also considers the most recent literature and guidelines as to the role of confirmatory tests making this diagnosis.  Key Words: apnea test, brain death, brainstem reflex, death examination


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
D. Cecchin ◽  
I. Schiorlin ◽  
A. Della Puppa ◽  
G. Lombardi ◽  
P. Zucchetta ◽  
...  

Introduction. Early signs of response after applying wafers of carmustine-loaded polymers (gliadel) are difficult to assess with imaging because of time-related imaging changes.Tc99m-sestamibi (MIBI) brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) has reportedly been used to reveal areas of cellularity distinguishing recurrent neoplasm from radionecrosis. Our aim was to explore the role of MIBI SPET in assessing response soon after gliadel application in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the charts on 28 consecutive patients with a radiological diagnosis of GBM who underwent MIBI SPET/CT before surgery (with intracavitary gliadel placement in 17 patients), soon after surgery, and at 4 months. The area of uptake was selected using a volume of interest that was then mirrored contralaterally to obtain a semiquantitative ratio.Results. After adjusting for ratio at the baseline, the effect of treatment (gliadel versus non-gliadel) was not statistically significant. Soon after surgery, however, 100% of patients treated with gliadel had a decreased ratio, as opposed to 62.5% of patients in the non-gliadel groupP=0.0316. The difference between ratios of patients with radical versus partial resection reached statistical significance by a small marginP=0.0528.Conclusions. These data seem to suggest that the MIBI ratio could be a valuable tool for monitoring the effect of gliadel early after surgery.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 636-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Piechna ◽  
Leszek Lombarski ◽  
Bogdan Ciszek ◽  
Krzysztof Cieslicki

Background Intracranial arterial dissections might be attributed to the particular biomechanical properties of their specific layers. Also, knowledge of adventitia properties would be crucial in the context of intracranial balloon angioplasty. Aims The purpose of this work was to determine the rupture pressure of separated adventitia and compare it to intact cerebral arterial segments. Methods Brain specimens were harvested from 14 autopsy subjects (age range from 23 to 86 years). Pressure-inflation tests were conducted on proximal segments of middle cerebral arteries and separated adventitia layers from contralateral arteries to assess the rupture pressure values. Results The averaged rupture pressure of adventitia layers was 1.41 SD 0.25 atm (1072 SD 190 mmHg), whereas for intact arterial segments it was 2.32 SD 0.70 atm (1763 SD 532 mmHg) and diminished with age according to nonlinear regression trends. The difference beetween the aformentioned rupture pressures was positively correlated with rupture pressure of intact arterial segments ( R2 = 0.88; p < 0.001). Conclusions The obtained experimental results indicate a leading role of adventitia in building arterial strength under supraphysiological pressure conditions. The greater the rupture pressure of complete cerebral arteries, the smaller the contribution of adventitia in overall wall resistance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Bakanova

The paper presents a systemic description of the fear of death incorporating the following five basic aspects of its study in psychology: anthropologic, gnoseological, axiological, praxeological and ontological. Content analysis of each aspect is built upon theoretical research. Thus, the anthropological aspect is reviewed through the prism of various studies on the differences in experiencing the fear of dying throughout the history of mankind and throughout an individual's life. The gnoseological aspect is revealed through the issues of bio¬logical and social determination of the fear of death realized in explorations of its conscious and subconscious components explored in psychology. The axiological aspect is considered through its orientation (internal and external) and content components reflecting the basic values of an individual that are either destroyed or created by the idea of death. The praxeological aspect represents ways of coping with the fear of death, including various defence mechanisms. The ontological aspect is regarded as the integral one depicting the role of the fear of death in human development and its contributions to the formation of personality.


2018 ◽  
pp. 174-190
Author(s):  
Piotr Sobolczyk

The paper revises the biographical data about Michel Foucault’s stay in Poland in 1958-1959. The main inspiration comes from the recent very well documented literary reportage book by Remigiusz Ryziński, Foucault in Warsaw. Ryziński’s aim is to present the data and tell the story, not to analyse the data within the context of Foucault’s work. This paper fulfills this demand by giving additional hypotheses as to why Polish authorities expelled Foucault from Poland and what the relation was between communism and homosexuality. The Polish experience, the paper compels, might have been inspiring for many of Foucault’s ideas in his Madness and Civilization, Discipline and Punish, and The History of Sexuality. On the other hand the author points to the fact that Foucault recognized the difference between the role of the intellectual in the West and in communist countries but did not elaborate on it. In this paper the main argument deals with the idea of sexual paranoia as decisive, which is missing in Foucault's works, although it is found in e.g. Guy Hocquenghem.


2021 ◽  
pp. 462-480
Author(s):  
I. V. Sidorchuk

The issues of studying the time budgets of various categories of the Soviet population in the 1920s — early 1930s is examined in the article. Special attention is paid to the role of leisure in the everyday life of the Soviet person and the reasons for its insufficient prevalence. The results of a comparative analysis of materials on the study of the role of leisure in the time budgets of workers, students, engineers, party workers are presented. The question is raised about the difference in the place of leisure in the time budgets between men and women, as well as residents of capitals and provinces. The provisions and methods of historical anthropology, the history of everyday life and leisure, problem-chronological and comparative-historical methods are used the article. A review of the general and specific features for various categories of the population in the time spent on leisure has been carried out.  An assessment of the degree of representativeness of the results of the studies of time budgets carried out in the period under consideration is given. It is concluded that the time that the legislation relied on for rest in practice was either engaged in work or wasted unproductively. It was proved that the main reasons for this were the irregularity of the working day, additional work and irrational organization of free time.


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