Scenario:

Statistical significance is found in a study, but the effect in reality is very small (i.e., there was a very minor difference in attitude between men and women). Were the results meaningful?

An independent samples t test was conducted to determine whether differences exist between men and women on cultural competency scores. The samples consisted of 663 women and 650 men taken from a convenience sample of public, private, and non-profit organizations. Each participant was administered an instrument that measured his or her current levels of cultural competency. The cultural competency scores ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating higher levels of cultural competency. The descriptive statistics indicate women have higher levels of cultural competency (M=9.2, SD= 3.2) than men (M=8.9, SD =2.1). The results were significant t (1311) = 2.0, p < .05, indicating that women are more culturally competent than men. These results tell us that gender-specific interventions targeted toward men may assist in bolstering cultural competency.

Critically evaluate the scenario based upon the following points:

1. Critically evaluate the sample size.

2. Critically evaluate the statements for meaningfulness.

3. Critically evaluate the statements for statistical significance.

4. Based on your evaluation, provide an explanantion of the implications for social change.