The use of effect sizes to characterize the nature of cognitive change in psychopharmacological studies: An example with scopolamine

Abstract

Drug induced cognitive change is generally investigated using small sample sizes. In terms of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) this can render a meaningful change non-significant, as a result of insufficient power in the statistical model. NHST leads to 'all or none' thinking, where a non-significant result is interpreted as an absence of change. An effect size calculation indicates the magnitude of change which has occurred post-intervention, and therefore whether a significant result is meaningful. We used a scopolamine challenge to demonstrate the usefulness of effect sizes. The aim of the study was to determine how effect sizes could describe the cognitive changes that occur f..