The Continued Prevalence of Dichotomous Inferences at CHI

Abstract

Dichotomous inference is the classification of statistical evidence as either sufficient or insufficient. It is most commonly done through null hypothesis significance testing (NHST). Although predominant, dichotomous inferences have proven to cause countless problems. Thus, an increasing number of methodologists have been urging researchers to recognize the continuous nature of statistical evidence and to ban dichotomous inferences. We wanted to see whether they have had any influence on CHI. Our analysis of CHI proceedings from the past nine years suggests that they have not.