The Statistical Reality: Why Everything Is Correlated and Its Implications for Research
By
gmays
The bagel they save for the regulars. Don't skim, savour.
Summary
This article explores the statistical and psychological observation that all real-world variables exhibit non-zero correlations, challenging traditional null hypothesis testing. It discusses various names and principles describing this phenomenon, including 'everything is correlated', 'crud factor', Thorndike's dictum about good traits clustering together, and ecological principles about universal interconnectedness. The content examines implications for statistical theory and the limitations of assuming zero correlations in research.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledKnowing one variable tells you (a little) about everything else
everything is correlated', 'everything is related to everything else', 'crud factor', 'the null hypothesis is always false'
in human nature good traits go together
Everything is connected to everything else
coefficients are never zero
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