Ranald Macdonald and statistical inference

Smith, P. T. (2009) Ranald Macdonald and statistical inference. British Journal of Mathematical & Statistical Psychology, 62 (2). pp. 195-199. ISSN 0007-1102 doi: 10.1348/000711009x426154

Abstract/Summary

Ranald Roderick Macdonald (1945-2007) was an important contributor to mathematical psychology in the UK, as a referee and action editor for British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology and as a participant and organizer at the British Psychological Society's Mathematics, statistics and computing section meetings. This appreciation argues that his most important contribution was to the foundations of significance testing, where his concern about what information was relevant in interpreting the results of significance tests led him to be a persuasive advocate for the 'Weak Fisherian' form of hypothesis testing.