Statistically Significant but Not Meaningful

Introduction During researches, results can be statistically significant but not meaningful. The situations occurs at the end of a study when the statistical figures relating to certain topics of study are calculated in absence of qualitative aspect and other details that can be used to make decisions (Munro, 2005). In this scenario, one cannot make an appropriate decision leading to misguided course of action.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Statistically Significant but Not Meaningful specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, a decision should not only depend on the statistical figures but also on the involved parameters, which may not be indicated in the results of the study. Normally, the study results are analyzed using various statistical mechanisms available. These include the use of pie charts, line graphs, and bar graphs. By looking into the results that has been tabulated, you can make conclusions by merely approximating the statistical significance. The situation is evidenced when the lack of sufficient sample is experienced during the study. For instance, per capita income of a country may be statistically significant yet it has no meaning. In such situations, the distribution of income, living standards, and inflation within a given country will not be indicated. Under such conditions, the results of a study can be statistically significant despite lacking means to those making the decisions. If such results are presented to organizations or government ministries, they will not make much impact during decision-making process. Example: Health statistics In health statistics, the significance of the results of a particular research is its quality and the medical significance attached to its results (Munro, 2005). In the field of medicine, studies and researches are carried on a chosen sample of the population to represent the entire population. The problem arises when a study i s carried out on certain people as the medication is targeted on another different population. The above leads to inappropriate decision-making because the other population may not be equivalent to the sampled portion of the population. Another factor of concern is the size of the population to be sampled during the study as it has great influence on the credibility of the results. Preconceived notion to a greater extend undermines the outcome of a study and all these affects the statistical significance of results for a particular research. The statistical significance mainly deals with the computation of the probability of the results of a given study being due to chance. The statistical significance is usually expressed as a probability. The letter ‘P’ is used to denote probability and conventionally is taken to be at 5%, that is up0.05. The results imply that there exists 5% tendency of occurrence of results by chance (Munro, 2005). Usually, the results of any study are termed to be statistically significant if there is a small probability of compatibility between it and the null hypothesis.Advertising Looking for essay on math statistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The reasoning here is that carrying out a medical study on a sample of a given geographical location and applying the same results on another different population can be misleading because the effect could be due to chance. It only becomes significant if there is repeatability of results. Clinical significance states that a small improvement in the new medication should not be sufficient to change the medication to the new method. Clinical significance requires that thorough analysis of the benefits, cost, disadvantages, technology, and the patient preference about the new medication. The above is important before adopting the new medication. Conclusion In critical areas of life, the statistical significance only should not be used to make the decisions concerning the topic of study (Salkind, 2014). As such, the results can have statistical importance but does not portray the quality and clear details of the results of a particular study. References Munro, B. H. (2005). Statistical methods for health care research (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Salkind, N. J. (2014). Exploring research (8th ed.).Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education. This essay on Statistically Significant but Not Meaningful was written and submitted by user Ian U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

What Exactly Is a Target School How to Find Yours

What Exactly Is a Target School How to Find Yours SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you have researched the college application process, you may have heard about the concept of a â€Å"target school.† What is a target school or college? Simply put, it's a college that you are likely- but not guaranteed- to be admitted to based on your qualifications. In this article, I'll define and explain the concept of a target school. Furthermore, I’ll discuss how to identify your target colleges and determine how many of these schools you should apply to. What Is a Target School? A target college is one in which your academic credentials make you competitive for admission.Your GPA, standardized test scores, and class rank fall within the average range for that particular school.You have a very reasonable chance of gaining admission to a target school, but there are no guarantees. Generally, you have about a 30%-80% chance of gaining admission to a target collegebased on your academic resume and the school’s acceptance rate. Schools to which you have less than a 30% chance of gaining admission are reach schools, and schools to which you have greater than an 80% chance of gaining admission are safetyschools. Because this range is relatively large, you can further divide your target collegesinto two categories: high target/borderline reach schools (30%-50% odds of admission) and low target/borderline safety schools (50%-80% odds of admission). Here are a couple of hypothetical examples to illustrate these concepts. Example #1 Claudia has a 3.9 weighted GPA, 610 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 690 Math SAT Scores, and she's interested in applying to the University of San Diego, a private Catholic college in San Diego, California. Claudia’s GPA is slightly higher than USD’s average GPA of 3.89, and her SAT score is also a bit higher than USD’s average of 630 Math score, although it's a little lower than its average 630 EBRW score. Furthermore, USD’s admission rate is 50%. Claudia would have a very reasonable chance of gaining admission to USD, but due to its relatively low acceptance rate, she shouldn’t be overly confident. USD would be a target school for Claudia. Example #2 Matt has a 3.5 weighted GPA and got a 23 on his ACT. Would the University of Oregon be a target collegefor Matt? Yes. The University of Oregon has an average GPA of 3.55 and an average ACT score of 25. Even though his GPA and ACT score are slightly below average for the University of Oregon, the University of Oregon’s acceptance rate is 83%.Matt’s credentials would make him a competitive applicant, and the University of Oregon would be a target school for Matt. For most public colleges, being an in-state or out-of-state student shouldn't have much impact on your odds of gaining admission. In recent years, though, there has been discussion that public universities have become more eager to admit out-of-state students. University of Oregon (Rick Obst/Flickr) Important Reminder Your GPA and standardized test scores are usually the two most important components of your application, but they’re not your only credentials that are considered when determining whether or not you gain admission. Colleges may also consider other factors like your recommendations, SAT Subject Test scores, the rigor of your course load, your personal essay, your extracurricular activities,anysubstantial obstacles you've had to overcome, and whether you’ll increase diversity on campus.Outside of your GPA and test scores, these other factors can strengthen your application. However, your GPA and standardized test scores are typically the most important factors, and they can help you easily determine your competitiveness for a particular school. How to Identify Your Target Schools Now that you understand the concept of a target college, I'll discuss how you should go about identifying your target colleges. Step 1: Create Your List of Dream Schools Initially, don’t worry too much about your odds of getting in when creating your list of dream schools. In my experience, most students are pretty realistic about where they stand. It's rare that a student with a 2.5 GPA will create a list of all Ivy League schools. If your initial list has too many reach schools, you can adjust it later. Learn how to choose a college, and research colleges extensively to determine the schools you want to go to.Use the best college search websites, college finders, and ranking lists to help you find the colleges that would be great for you. Seek advice from others. If possible, talk to your teachers, counselors, current college students and admissions representatives to help determine which colleges would be a good fit for you. After doing your research, I recommend having an initial list of 8-15 schools. You won’t necessarily be applying to all of these schools, but at this point, a list of fewer schools may not be giving you enough options, and if you have more schools, you probably haven’t done enough to narrow down your college search, and you may need to do more research. McmScience/Flickr Step 2: Determine Which of Schools From Your List Are on Target Use the PrepScholar database to help determine which of the schools from your list are target colleges.You can google â€Å"(name of school) prepscholar admissions requirements† to find a school profile for each college on your list.On the school profile, use the admissions calculator to get a rough idea of your chances of admission.The admissions calculator combines your GPA and standardized test scores with the admissions rate to approximate your chances of getting into the school. If, according to the admissions calculator, you have between a 30% and 80% chance of gaining admission, you should categorize the college as on target.If the school has less than a 15% acceptance rate, you should categorize the school as a reach regardless of your GPA and standardized test scores. The school is so selective that you can’t be confident that you’ll get in regardless of your academic credentials. What Should You Do If Your Dream Schools Are All Reach Schools? You should divide the list of schools you apply to between reach schools, target schools, and safety schools.You want to give yourself options and try to gain admission to competitive schools. Initially, some students, when they first identify their dream schools, select too many reach schools.Because your likelihood of gaining admission to reach schools is very low, you should identify less competitive schools that possess the attributes you like in your reach schools to apply to as well. For example, let’s assume that you have a 4.2 weighted GPA and got a 34 on your ACT. Your dream school is Harvard, primarily because you really want to go to a selective private college in the greater Boston area. Even though your GPA and ACT score would make you competitive for admission to Harvard, Harvard’s acceptance rate is only 4.6%. Therefore, regardless of your credentials, Harvard will be a reach for you. However, with your GPA and ACT score, some of your target colleges could be Tufts University and Boston College, both of which are selective private colleges in the greater Boston area.If you’re thorough in identifying why you like certain schools, that will be helpful for you if you need to find target schools. Pete Jelliffe/Flickr How Many Target Schools Should You Apply To? There’s no exact number of target collegesthat you should apply to.For most students, I recommend applying to about â…“ target schools,â…“reach schools, andâ…“safety schools. Generally, I think applying to 6-12 colleges is good to give yourself options without going overboard. Therefore, applying to about 2-5 target colleges is a reasonable number. Students who are extremely eager to go to selective colleges can apply to mostly reach and target schools. However, make sure you apply to at least a couple of safety schools to ensure you have choices given a worst-case scenario. If you're primarily interested in attending schools that qualify as safety schools for you, you don't have to apply to more than a couple of colleges. However, I do encourage you to at least consider more selective colleges before you finalize your list of schools. If you're deterred by the cost of private colleges or out-of-state public colleges, learn more about financial aid and scholarships that can enable you to afford any school that accepts you. Quick Review A target collegeis a school in which your credentials make you competitive for admission, and you have a decent chance of being accepted to that college (roughly 30%-80%). Identify target schools by doing extensive college research and knowing the traits that you like in your reach schools. Use the PrepScholar database to determine if a school is ontarget for you. What's Next? Even though Harvard is a reach school, learn how you can get into Harvard. Also, find out how to apply for college. When you apply to most colleges, you'll need to write a personal statement. Make sure you know how to write an exceptional college essay. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Science and Atheism

Science and Atheism Science by definition is the intellectual, practical, and the systematic study of the composition and functioning of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.   Atheism, a word derived from the combination of the Greek ÃŽ ± or â€Å"not† and theos or â€Å"god† is commonly perceived as the belief that there is no God. Since science, as exemplified in the above definition operates in a framework of uncompromising naturalism and function as if our world has no connection with any supernatural being, it is often viewed atheistic. Although science and religion, according to literature are practices embodied in powerful social institutions and achieving peaceful coexistence, their boundaries, and social positions are well-defined. For one thing, science has a life of its own and regardless of its godly origins, it can function without theistic foundation. However, regardless of extreme naturalism and its very broad description of the world, science does not tolerate any atheistic morality and can function without atheism. Similar to theism that makes sense only to those who support the claim there is a God, atheism can only prosper in a society with different moral ideals such as Enlightenment humanism, communism, libertarianism, and others thus can also come into tension with science.   Atheism according to the literature is not just a claim that we live in a godless world. An atheist during the 18th century takes the world as given and rejects the claim that God is necessary to explain the existence of the world. Another form of atheism asserts that belief in God and in the afterlife undermines the value of human life on earth.   Similar to Marx and Lenin’s atheism, there is an atheistic world-view and ethics that people must become gods to be worthy of living in a godless world. Scientific Atheism Scientists in the 16th and 17th centuries, according to the literature were in a way self-consciously taken religion out of the discourse for the sake of modern science.   However, this was not at the done metaphysical level, but deliberately at the methodological level where religion and science do not mix. For instance, since good science involves dealing with problems until a solution is found, reaching out for God’s intervention whenever you encounter a problem is simply not science. Aside from the fact that most renowned scientists such as Galileo, Descartes, Boyle, Newton, and others were all religious, their atheistic attitude toward God was mere â€Å"scientific atheism† or recognition of the reality that Adam and Eve, Noah’s Flood, Jonah and the whale, and other religious claims   are no longer acceptable in modern science.   A survey of top-rank British scientist suggests that most respondents who came from physical sciences believed in God. Similarly, a study conducted in 1996 found that most members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences do believe in God. Dissertation Writing Service Science and religion are two conflicting aspects of social life. As science attempt discover facts about the world through observation and reasoning, religion has a creed and code of personal morals that are directly in conflict with science.   For instance, a creed is often the intellectual source of dispute between religion and science due to assertions, dogma, and philosophical doctrines that science can easily disprove.

Images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Images - Essay Example Hence, it is vital for firms to have a consistency between their channel image and their brand image (Marconi, 1996). This paper will analyze the importance of maintaining a channel image and a brand image. Firms sometimes seem to forget that customers do not think in terms of channels. Customers, owing to that, have expectations of marketers (Armstrong, 2007). However, sometimes marketers do not see these prospects. The perception of a consumer being in control goes back a number of years and the idea will probably never change. The real hurdle is how firms give them what they anticipate and make sure that they shop with them in the future. In business-to-consumer environment, firms in the past opted to eliminate middlemen. If a firm had a pleasing product and an attractive offer, then it could create a list of consumers and never assign budget to brand marketing (Gregory, 1999). That, however, is no longer the case. These days, every functional area of a company needs to serve as a middleman and offer the help that a customer requires to make a purchasing decision and become a steadfast buyer. Therefore, brand image has a significant influence on a firm’s channel performance. Also, as the article 7 rules of global distribution (2000) emphasizes, a multinational firm needs to have authority over its marketing strategy (Arnold, 2000). This will help the firm in determine the way the distributor perceives the image of their company. This, at the same time, may be damaging and favorable. In addition, a group’s notoriety may also assist in the selection of foreign partners. This is because distributing well-known products is always quite an â€Å"honor† for a partner abroad and the willing marketers are always many. Finally, a firm depends on the â€Å"win-win speculation† and so a distributor is anticipated to respect the firm’s rules before his or her own interests (Arnold, 2000). In relation to L’Oreal, the company takes

The Causes and Effects of Being a Student in a Foreign Country Essay

The Causes and Effects of Being a Student in a Foreign Country - Essay Example It could be that a relative who lives aboard is in need of their assistances. The student therefore will travel to come to the aid of their kin. Not wanting to leave their education aside for the time that they are in that different country, they enroll in school. However, it is not always the case that the family has an issue, sometimes there are positive causes in the family, such as relocation. In the case of relocation the parents of the student might have obtained a job abroad. Then the student would move just to stay with their parents, and end up attending a foreign school as a result. Some of the more depressing reasons that a student might need to study abroad without truly wishing to do so it because of health reasons. The student could become ill and need special medical assistance that they cannot receive in their own country. The student would, therefore have to move where that medical care is provided. Students might also find that they have to study in different countr ies because of financial reasons. ... If fact, it is more common for students to study abroad simply because they choose to than because they had no other choice. For many students, studying in a foreign country is an exciting opportunity. The Effects of Study Abroad Rather the student is studying abroad because of their active decision or because of issues in their life that thy found unavoidable, it is clear that learning in a foreign environment has great benefits for the development of the student’s intellect. As it was reported, â€Å"International educators at either side of the Atlantic have long recognized that college students returning from studying abroad show positive changes† (Hadis, 2003:p.3). Some of the benefits to the student include a greater awareness of global affairs, heightened foreign language acquisition, increased cultural sensitivity, and new experiences. These benefits are becoming more and more important in today’s society, where globalization is being spread at a rapid pa ce. One day, only those who have a better global view will be able to truly be successful. Since students are such because they are seeking to better themselves, it would seem that the opportunity to study abroad is one that no student should pass up on. IT keeps them from having tunnel vision. Overall View of Study Abroad Getting an education is a powerful way to change a person’s life. Getting an education in a country that is not their own is a way of adding even more power to their education. One of the best ways to be a success is to have a diverse set of experiences from which to draw. Studying abroad is a method to gain these experiences. This route of

Herbert Spencer Essay Example for Free

Herbert Spencer Essay He was a biologist first before he became a philosopher. Spencer was born on 1820 of April 27. He never had a formal education, instead he was being taught home by his parents. He was taught of math, social sciences and science and he was also taught of a variety of speaking languages which made him very intelligent and proficient. He was a typical, ordinary boy who loves to play around but unfortunately he easily gets sick and even he was an adult he easily catches illnesses. He had an insomnia which greatly affected him physically. He had his job when he was still on his teenage years in the railways and loved to write things. This contributed to what he has become and what great things he has achieved in his life. Herbert Spencer was born 1820- 2903, a British philosopher. He is noted for his effort to devise a philosophical system incorporating all scientific learning. In this â€Å" synthetic philosophy,† as he called it, Spencer applied to all branches of knowledge the principle of evolution, which he defined as the change of all things from simple to more complex forms. Spencer achieved particular renown as a social evolutionist. His conclusion that society evolves by the biological process of natural selection, a process for which he coined the phrase â€Å"survival of the fittest†, was highly influential. Some of his ideas, however, were based on the largely discredited notion that acquired characteristics can play a role in evolution. Spencer’s first book, Social Statistics in 1850 , presented a theory of evolution predating Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species by nine years; unlike Darwin, however, Spencer, did not present scientific evidence to support his theory. After Darwin’s theory of natural selection was published, Spencer adopted it enthusiastically. He then wrote a series of volumes surveying biology, sociology, ethics, and psychology from an evolutionary point of view. These works brought him world recognition. The first book in the series, First Principles in 1862, presented his synthetic philosophy. It caused much controversy on the relation between science and religion. Spencer, an agnostic, rejected all theological systems as futile attempts to know the unknowable and concluded that knowledge can be gained only through the study of science. Spencer was taught by his father who was a schoolmaster and uncle who was a minister, and did not attend college. Although his real interest was science, for several years he worked as a civil engineer for an English railway and later as an editor for the Economist in 1848- 1853. He is an English Philosopher; he generalized evolutionary theory outside the confines of biology. He wrote the principle of Psychology in 1870-1872 and Sociology in 1873- 1896, he applied his encyclopedic knowledge to support his historicist concept of progress. The common origin of European Sociology was the Enlightenment. Different national traditions reacted to the enlightenment inheritance in different ways. The only British innovations were Spencer’s adaptation of Darwin’s model of Biological evaluation to provide explanations of societal change. In France, however, the conservative reaction to the French Revolution rejected atomistic models of society which is centered on the individual and questioned the validity of empirical inquiry. The man who added something new to this idea was only Herbert Spencer. He recognized that the Orthodox interpretation of society assumed but did not explain change. Spencer, however, did not abandon the ideas of the Enlightenment but regarded them in relation to a model of social change owing much to Darwin’s origin of species. He argued that societies were driven forward to more complex and higher forms by the struggle for the survival between individuals, and that the struggle had produced in Britain a Laissez Faire industrial society, which was a yet the highest social form. He was said to be the competitor of Charles Darwin. Survival of the Fittest and Evolution are the common terms being made known by this Victorian Biologist  who eventually became a philosopher. He viewed evolution as the same that he thought was not consistent. He had formulated different concepts and these are the Adaptation, Integration, Growth and Differentiation. Spencer’s remaining years were still focused on his thought of evolution of mankind and its outcome in the future. He was full of pessimism and thought that maybe mankind will not be able to survive. Herbert Spencer was idolize by many and many were influenced by him and they were Charles Darwin, Alfred Marshall, Henry Sidgwick, William Graham Sumner and many other sociologist and theorists. He became known duet to his Positivism and Evolutionism. He developed ideas which helped made other ideas which explained more of the existence of man. His greatest contribution to mankind was to think and explore more from their minds and not just settle in mediocrity. He wants us to be concerned of the society in which we are existing and the culture that we are following and passing on to other generations. In 1903, Herbert Spencer died. He died with dignity and great reputation, bringing with him the appreciation and love by the entire individual’s around him that time.

Exploration of To the Lighthouse :: essays papers

Exploration of To the Lighthouse In Virginia Woolf's fiction, the breakdown or breaking open, of traditional literary forms in the light of the twentieth century querying of perception, reality and linguistic meaning, is recorded as a reconceiving of the novel-form. Throughout the course of her novels she lays down a challenge to official ways of measuring proportion, light, time and human character. Abolishing chapter and verse, Woolf creates a rhythmic, wave-like form of undulating passages as in music, where the structure of parts within an individual movement is a continuous flow rather than a series of stops and starts. She identifies language itself as a volatile and indeterminate system of mirroring suggestions; reality as potentially unknowable, and the novel form itself as inclined to substantial change to accommodate these perspectives. Virginia Woolf renounces the narrative persona as a sort of privileged extra character testifying to indisputable mental and physical events and evaluating their significance. She shifts significance to the act of mediation itself as a primary subject to be investigated "*. To the Lighthouse "*develops a system of passing the baton of interior monologue from one character to another by its eavesdropping of the self-sealed consciousness of a group enwrapped in meditation through the round of two life-encapsculating days. In "*To the Lighthouse"* the proportion of direct speech to indirect speech is minuscule, and, indeed rudimentary. If we reduce the first section of the novel to its dialogue, the following structure emerges:'Yes, of course, if it's fine to-morrow,' said Mrs Ramsay. 'But you'll have to be up with the lark'...'But,' said his father . . . 'it won't be fine.'*'But it may be fine - I expect it will be fine,' said Mrs Ramsay . . . 'It's due west,' said the atheist Tansley . . .'Nonsense,' said Mrs Ramsay . . . *'There'll be no landing at the Lighthouse to-morrow,' said Charles Tansley . . . 'Would it bore you to come with me, Mrs Tansley?' 'Let us all go!' she cried . . . 'Let's go,' he said. 'Good-bye, Elsie,' she said. (pp.3-16) Inconsequent voices demur about the weather: typical English conversation implying an apathetic form of communion, signifying little - so we might assess this dialogue if it were presented to us as I have transcribed it, dissecting it from its root-network in the complex matrix of the narrative voice which recounts the soliloquies of the persons from whom these extracts of conversation are gathered.