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1500 data points are not needed to be representative. everynametaken Send a noteboard - 03/04/2010 05:31:51 AM
Our Epidemiology professor said there must be about 1500 data points for a sample to be considered representative of the population (based on a number of statistical factors that I really do not feel the desire to go in to)

Even for populations smaller than the US (much less most of the First World countries), that number would be considered much too small to be taken without footnotes.


I have no idea why he would say that. Besides, there is no known population in most psychological testing. That's why it is called inferential statistics. ;)

That said, I will qualify that the needed data points in your field of work may be different. Some preferred testing techniques in biological (and veterinary?) sciences are different than in psychological testing. But, with sufficient power a sample of N-30 is sufficient to minimize error and normalize the curve.
But wine was the great assassin of both tradition and propriety...
-Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
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/Scientific Findings: Video games may hinder learning for boys Jeordam - 16/03/2010 07:48:18 PM 1488 Views
Well duh! MightyYT - 16/03/2010 08:17:48 PM 995 Views
really, 64 kids? so that's 32 who got a playstation? jh - 16/03/2010 09:52:21 PM 1089 Views
probably not if they're spending the same amount of time LadyLorraine - 17/03/2010 01:56:32 AM 1000 Views
Hah. Not a very convincing sample size there. lord-of-shadow - 16/03/2010 11:54:44 PM 1047 Views
too true. LadyLorraine - 17/03/2010 02:00:38 AM 1006 Views
1500 data points are not needed to be representative. everynametaken - 03/04/2010 05:31:51 AM 1227 Views
Actually an N=30 is sufficient to produce a normal curve and minimize error. everynametaken - 03/04/2010 05:26:27 AM 1270 Views
And anyway, any null hypothesis can be rejected with a large enough sample size. Burr - 10/04/2010 03:49:41 AM 1144 Views
what? you mean if I don't do my scholastic work, my academic progress will diminsh? LadyLorraine - 17/03/2010 01:47:51 AM 1006 Views
Seems like common sense..... *NM* Talic - 17/03/2010 06:47:18 PM 609 Views
Re: /Scientific Findings: Video games may hinder learning for boys Bulgakov - 18/03/2010 01:37:19 PM 1018 Views
Damn! Now I have to get rid of my consoles! Beqi - 19/03/2010 12:31:22 AM 1015 Views
why should you get rid of your consoles? LadyLorraine - 19/03/2010 03:07:38 AM 930 Views
The words "video game" can be replaced by anything with the same result. Mats Gambling Buddy - 19/03/2010 05:54:51 AM 1035 Views
I like this line ... The_Muted_Grimaud - 19/03/2010 06:24:05 AM 1108 Views
well if your parents never buy you new games... LadyLorraine - 19/03/2010 12:36:08 PM 946 Views
+1 for misspelling the phrase per se. Apparently Yahoo has now corrected that error. *NM* Ghavrel - 21/03/2010 09:23:04 PM 493 Views
That's pretty stupid. Type of game is very important. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 23/03/2010 03:47:16 PM 1102 Views
While it may seem like common sense... everynametaken - 03/04/2010 05:39:59 AM 1186 Views
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