Re: statistical errors

[Paul R Swank]

I prefer the ocular test myself.

At 12:16 PM 3/22/01 -0700, Harold W Kerster wrote:
> Maybe the most common mistake is omission of graphic eye-balling.
>
>On Thu, 22 Mar 2001, Paul Swank wrote:
>
>> I couldn't help wanting to add my own 2 cents to the discussion about statistical errors because I have always thought that people put too much faith in formal tests of assumptions. When the tests of assumptions are most sensitive to violations is when they are of less concern, when the sample size is large. When the ramifications of violating assumptions are greatest, when samples are small, the tests have no power to detect violations. There is no substitute for examining your data. If the data are badly skewed, you don't need a normality test to tell you that, a simple histogram will do it.
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
>> Paul R. Swank, PhD.
>>
>> <smaller>Professor & Advanced Quantitative Methodologist
>>
>> </smaller>UT-Houston School of Nursing
>>
>> Center for Nursing Research
>>
>> Phone (713)500-2031
>>
>> Fax (713) 500-2033
>>
>>
>> =================================================================
>> Instructions for joining and leaving this list and remarks about
>> the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES are available at
>> http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/
>> =================================================================
>>
>
------------------------------------
Paul R. Swank, PhD.
Professor & Advanced Quantitative Methodologist
UT-Houston School of Nursing
Center for Nursing Research
Phone (713)500-2031
Fax (713) 500-2033

================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list and remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES are available at http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ =================================================================