STATISTICS AS RHETORIC IN PSYCHOLOGY

The confusion and misunderstanding of inferential statistics found amongst a class of exiting third-year psychology students is shown to parallel similar reported misunderstandings amongst the wider psychological community. The history of inferential statistics and of their institutionalisation within psychology is briefly described, and some suggested reasons for these developments are discussed. It is argued, supported by illustrative examples, that the rhetorical association of statistical inference with scientific method serves to assert and maintain epistemic authority in psychology.