The Use of the Effect Size in JCR Spanish Journals of Psychology: From Theory to Fact

Abstract

In 1999, Wilkinson and the Task Force on Statistical Inference published “Statistical Methods and Psychology: Guidelines and Explanation.” The authors made several recommendations about how to improve the quality of Psychology research papers. One of these was to report some effect-size index in the results of the research. In 2001, the fifth edition of thePublication Manual of the American Psychological Associationincluded this recommendation. In Spain, in 2003, scientific journals likePsicothemaor theInternational Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology(IJCHP) published editorials and papers expressing the need to calculate the effect size in the research papers. The aim of this study is to determine whether the papers published from 2003 to 2008 in the four Spanish journals indexed in theJournal Citation Reportshave reported some effect-size index of their results. The findings indicate that, in general, the follow-up of the norm has been scanty, though the evolution over the analyzed period is different depending on the journal.

The Predictive Validity of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth for Young Spanish Offenders

“…The effect size indices report the real importance of the results obtained from the significance tests (Vacha-Haase et al, 2000; American Psychological Association, 2009; García et al, 2011). …”

Subclinical social anxiety and academic performance in adolescence: analysis of theoretical and practical implications / Ansiedad social subclínica y rendimiento académico en la adolescencia: análisis de sus implicaciones teórico-prácticas

“…In addition, unlike previous studies, this research considered the relationship while taking into account the gender and school year of the participants as well as the analysis of effect sizes, recommended by various authors (e.g., Cohen, 1988;García, Ortega, & De la Fuente, 2011) to determine the magnitude of the differences found, that 270 is, its theoretical and practical significance.…”

Relationship between sociometric type and self-attributions for academic failure in a Spanish sample from secondary education.

“…In contrast to previous studies, this study expanded the number of sociometric types examined and the different behavioral categories that can appear within a classroom / social group. In a further change from prior studies, this investigation considered this relationship by incorporating analysis of effect sizes, recommended by different authors (e.g., Cohen, 1988;García, Ortega & De la Fuente, 2011), to determine the magnitude of the differences found, in other words, their theoretical and practical meaning.…”