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Statistical power in physical anthropology: a technical report
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|July 1, 1978
Summary
Statistical power analysis reveals physical anthropology research has moderate to high power for medium and large effects. While not reaching the recommended level for medium effects, it outperforms many social sciences.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Statistical Analysis
Background:
- Statistical power is crucial for detecting true effects in research.
- Previous power analyses have varied across social science disciplines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the statistical power of research published in The American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
- To compare the power of physical anthropology studies with other social sciences.
Main Methods:
- A statistical power analysis was performed on 25 articles from The American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Volume 44, 1976).
- A total of 3,304 major significance tests were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Power estimates were 0.38 (small effect), 0.62 (medium effect), and 0.81 (large effect).
- The power for medium effect sizes (0.62) was below the recommended 0.80 level.
- Physical anthropology research demonstrated favorable statistical power compared to several social science fields.
Conclusions:
- Physical anthropology research generally exhibits adequate statistical power, particularly for larger effects.
- While power for medium effects could be improved, the field's statistical rigor is competitive within the broader social sciences.
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