Reaction to The Earth is Round - Essay Example

There are several effective methods used in statistical psychology to interpret data and the author suggests that they can significantly improve the application of NHST in research. Cohen (1994) believes that scientists should seek not only methods to generalize their data but to improve their results by using graphic presentation methods in their research.

Generally, I agree with Cohen (1994) that generalization often gives birth to uncertain theories. NHST is convenient for psychologists (and other scientific fields as well) and it is the reason why they use it. However, every technique should advance with time. Cohen (1994) calls for the conscious use of NHST and understanding that it is far from perfection. Being a statistician, he understands the pitfalls of the illusion created by NHST. At the same time, he offers a solution to improve NHST giving more credit to this technique and vindicating its use in research practices. Overall, I support the idea that scientists need to have clear evidence to support their theories even if they start with a null hypothesis significance testing.