Too often, exploratory approaches to data analysis are used, even in situations in which confirmatory methods could be used. The contrast between exploratory and confirmatory approaches to analyses will be emphasized, and several examples will be presented that illustrate the advantages of confirmatory methods — particularly the avoidance of Type II errors when confirmatory methods are used. This presentation provides yet another view on the replication crisis that is a current concern in social science, in medicine, and other fields.

Prof. Keith Widaman