Klarinet Archive - Posting 000843.txt from 2003/06

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <patricia@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] OT: Re: [kl] Misinterpreted statistic (was Left, Right or mixed handed?)
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 00:52:01 -0400

Ormondtoby Montoya wrote:

>The 'skeleton' of a proper experiment would be:
>
><snipped part of interesting post for space>
>
>Finally, you would test the Null Hypothesis that there is no difference
>between the two samples. If you could show mathematically that the
>differences between the two populations are statistically significant
>(using the Standard Deviation, acceptance of the Normal Curve or some
>other distribution, etc etc etc).
>
>....a lot of work, but anything less is (perhaps) just building another
>Urban Legend....
>
>
And yet, it is just this sort of research in most areas, whether musical
or not, that normally ISN'T done. Because to do so is quite
time-consuming. Hence the tendency of most of us to admit great amounts
of anecdotal evidence supporting certain beliefs into our set of facts,
rather than realizing that certain things must be tested quite strenuously.

Patricia Smith
(who apologizes for her lack of linguistic accuracy)

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