Читать книгу Health Psychology - Michael Murray - Страница 132

Meta-analysis is the use of statistical techniques to combine the results of primary studies addressing the same question into a single pooled measure of effect size, with a confidence interval. The analysis is often based on the calculation of a weighted mean effect size in which each primary study is weighted according to the number of participants. A meta-analysis follows a series of steps, as follows: (1) develop a research question; (2) identify all relevant studies; (3) select studies on the basis of the issue being addressed and methodological criteria; (4) decide which dependent variables or summary measures are allowed; (5) calculate a summary effect; and (6) reach a conclusion in answer to the original research question.