Title :
Bioelectromagnetic research and statistical power
Author :
Podd, John ; Page, Wyatt ; Rapley, Bruce ; Beale, Ivan
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Psychol., Massey Univ., Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract :
Bioelectromagnetic field research has some way to go before the scientific community at large is convinced that weak, extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields affect biological systems. This paper argues that researchers are doing themselves and the discipline an injustice by running studies where statistical power is very low. The most frequent outcome of low statistical power is a null result, even when there are experimental effects to be detected. It is suggested that future research must address the issue of statistical power, both through increasing it in individual studies and through conducting meta-analytic investigations of existing research
Keywords :
biological effects of fields; electromagnetic fields; reviews; statistical analysis; bioelectromagnetic field research; biological systems; experimental effects; meta-analytic investigations; researchers; statistical power; weak extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields; Biological systems; Electromagnetic fields; Error analysis; Error probability; Frequency; Geophysical measurement techniques; Ground penetrating radar; Production systems; Psychology; Statistical distributions;
Conference_Titel :
Bioelectromagnetism, 1998. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Melbourne, Vic.
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3867-7
DOI :
10.1109/ICBEM.1998.666460