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Doesn't "statistically insignificant" mean papers which conclude something like "we find no correlation between X and Y"?
by progval 6y ago
Doesn't "statistically insignificant" mean papers which conclude something like "we find no correlation between X and Y"?
- kelnos 6y agoI think information like that is perhaps useful, at least to avoid wasting time repeating the same research, but publishing that does not prove that there's no correlation between X and Y, only that the things tested didn't show one.
- BenoitEssiambre 6y agoNo! It means the data is too noisy to make any conclusion.
- ellis-bell 6y agonot necessarily. it could. but if x and y are truly uncorrelated variables that are observed with unlimited precision, then you still would not reject the null that they are uncorelated
- BenoitEssiambre 6y ago"Truly uncorrelated" is a problematic concept. Most of the time, any two things within each other's light cones, have at least tiny direct or indirect effects on each other. These effects are usually not that tiny in experimental settings because of imperfect experimental tools and procedures.
- gus_massa 6y agoLike the speed of sound and the height of the table where the experiment is. Note that the pressure of the air changes with height. For a few inches the change is negligible and very difficult (impossible?) to measure, but the effect must be out there. I had once a problem with the temperature of the room, you usually ignore it, but it has a bigger effect like a 5% variation.