Why a time-honoured statistical tool is becoming problematic.

Find out how scientists, from physicists to geneticists, measure their confidence in their results.

What do physicists at CERN mean when they talk about "sigma levels"?

In the previous article we looked at a psychological study which claims to provide evidence that certain types of extra-sensory perception exist, using a statistical method called significance testing. But do the results of the study really justify this conclusion?

In March 2011 a highly respected psychology journal published a paper claiming to provide evidence for extra-sensory perception (ESP). The claim was based largely on the results of a very common statistical procedure called significance testing. The experiments provide an excellent way into looking at how significance testing works and at what's problematic about it.