Making friends with your data: Improving how statistics are conducted and reported1

Aim: This paper highlights some of the areas where there are problems with the way that statistics are conducted and reported in psychology journals. Recommendations are given for improving these problems. Sample: The choice of topics is based largely on the questions that authors, reviewers, and editors have asked in recent years. The focus is on null hypothesis significance testing (NHST), choosing a statistical test, and what should be included in results sections. Results: There are several ways to improve how statistics are reported. These should improve both the authors' and the readers' understanding of the data. Conclusions: Psychology as a discipline will improve if the way in which statistics are conducted and reported is improved. This will require effort from authors, scrutiny from reviewers, and stubbornness from editors.