Guidetocalculating,interpretingandusingeffectsize.docVIP

It’s the Effect Size, StupidWhat effect size is and why it is important Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the British Educational Research Association, University of Exeter, England, 12-14 September 2002 Robert Coe School of Education, University of Durham, Leazes Road, Durham DH1 1TA Tel 0191 374 4504; Fax 0191 374 1900; Email r.j.coe@dur.ac.uk Abstract Effect size is a simple way of quantifying the difference between two groups that has many advantages over the use of tests of statistical significance alone. Effect size emphasises the size of the difference rather than confounding this with sample size. However, primary reports rarely mention effect sizes and few textbooks, research methods courses or computer packages address the concept. This paper provides an explication of what an effect size is, how it is calculated and how it can be interpreted. The relationship between effect size and statistical significance is discussed and the use of confidence intervals for the latter outlined. Some advantages and dangers of using effect sizes in meta-analysis are discussed and other problems with the use of effect sizes are raised. A number of alternative measures of effect size are described. Finally, advice on the use of effect sizes is summarised. During 1992 Bill Clinton and George Bush Snr. were fighting for the presidency of the United States. Clinton was barely holding on to his place in the opinion polls. Bush was pushing ahead drawing his on his stature as an experienced world leader. James Carville, one of Clintons top advisers decided that their push for presidency needed focusing. Drawing on the research he had conducted he came up with a simple focus for their campaign. Every opportunity he had, Carville wrote four words - Its the economy, stupid - on a whiteboard for Bill Clinton to see every time he went out to speak. ‘Effect size’ is simply a way of quantifying the size of the difference between two groups. It is easy to calculate, readi