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Re: I am in a curious position posting on this. I teach research methods and think statistics have little value in audio

I have conducted DB and SB in psychology. I am a teacher and they are used in cognitive research. The problem is most universities deem Pscyhology an art rather than a science even though psychology is using the scienctific method as a basis from which to work. In Education on cognition DBT's are gradually being discredited.

What you have is statistical probability -- it works extremely well for what it was invented for - DRUGS. It works entirely less well on anything that requires any human answer that is a construct of the brain. There is too much inherent interference with test taking itself to lend credibility to them. Engineers are simply not well rounded enough to be leaping into fields they know absolutely nothing about. Proof is not in the maths.

The issue with most of the trials is that 6/10 ten times less one for 59/100 correct guesses yields the same statistical significance at the .05 level as 9/10 correct guesses yields. Guess which is not being used and which is being used -- the lazy one.

And that is not even discussing the premise that is at the outset.

Of course all of that said -- you also can't just trust that "everything that is more expensive and raved about in Stereophile is better." So the DBT supporters who I used to fault I really can't. Just like Psychology - you have to go by something and it is probably wiser to go with the scientific method when the opposite is well - nothing.

So I view the DBT side as the "this is better than the voodoo alternative." So I can support them in the theoretical arguments that it makes more sense to follow that - but I'll be quite happy losing the Bryston/CD/Thiel or Harman International designed speakers (of which I have heard the best set-up by their engineers) for the world of SET/Turntables and funky speakers. The difference is this is my choice - and hey Hi-Fi Choice picked it blind too so the bases are covered somewhat :-)

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  • Re: I am in a curious position posting on this. I teach research methods and think statistics have little value in audio - RGA 06:24:27 12/19/06 (0)
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