Misunderstandings of Effect Sizes in Message Effects Research. Issue 3 (3rd July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Keefe, Daniel J.
• Is Part Of: Communication methods and measures. Volume 11:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 210
• Page End: 219
• Publication Date: 2017-07-03
• Subjects: Effect sizes -- message effects -- meta-analysis; Communication -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Communication -- Research -- Periodicals; Communication -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; 302.2072
• DOI: 10.1080/19312458.2017.1343812
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1931-2458

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Widespread acknowledgement of the weaknesses of null hypothesis significance testing has led to correspondingly greater appreciation of the central role of effect size estimation in social-scientific research. But in the context of message effects research, it is easy to confuse an effect size—a quantitative representation of the effect of a variable on an outcome—with the size of the effect of a message on an outcome. Illustrations of this misunderstanding are offered, its unhappy consequences specified, and remedies discussed.