Question

Effect size and homeless families: A New York Times article reported on the growing problem of homelessness among families (Bellafante, 2013). The reporter wrote that families in a city-run program called Homebase had shorter stays than families not in the program—a difference of about 22.6 fewer nights in a shelter. However, the reporter observed, “Though this is a statistically significant result, it is hardly an impressive one, especially in light of the fact that the average stay for a family in the shelter system is now 13 months, up from 9 months in 2011, and the city is experiencing record levels of homelessness with 50,000 people, including 21,000 children, in shelters every night.”

1. How is the reporter’s observation about the size of the result—“hardly an impressive one”—related to the concept of effect size?
2. Imagine that a friend who has not taken statistics asks you to explain the difference between a statistically significant result and a large or “impressive” effect. In your own words, how would you explain this difference to your friend?

Answer 1

The reporter here claims that the size of the result is is not impressive.

He claims that there has been q signigficant rise in the number of homeless people in the year 2013 as compared to the last recorded year 2011.

The city run program , Homestay, says about a signicant drop in the average number of days spent in the shelter by the homeless by 22.6 nights it is still considerably large compared to the average nights spent in the homeless shelter in 2011.

In 2013 despite of the decrease in average nights spent in the homestay by 22.6 nights,the time span of spending nights there is considerably high and on a rise since 2011.

So the fall in the average number of nights spent there,even though is considerably big,still remains unimpressive.