摘要
我的毛病很多,但我总希望别人不犯这样或那样的毛病。例如在讲统计课中,我经常把标准差写成σ,又念作Sjgma,但我却叮嘱同学们要严格注意大数统计和小样统计的区别。我就自我原谅地说:我1933年离开伦敦大学大学院的那个暑假,皮尔逊(K·Pearson)退休了,费歇(R·A·Flsher)才从剑桥来接替他当教授,所以我习惯于老的一套,即大数或参量统计。以后读了费歇的《研究工作者的统计方法》才认识到参量与非参量的统计数(S tatistic)的区别。这种区别反映在符号上,参量都用希腊字母,例如平均数用μ,标准差用σ;非参量统计则用拉丁字母,平均数作m,标准差作S。这两种区别是很重要的。
Small sample research must resort to non-parametric statistics instead of parametric one.Averaging mustbe used with discretion.Sometimes,mode or median may be a more repre-sentative measure.With samplingproblems,not only items of con-tents and subjects chosen,but alsotime irregularities,such as cohorts,seasonal variations,time of the dayetc.,have to be considered,It's hightime for the fetishism.of normalcurve te get out of fashion now.Most human performanes conform toexhibit a J-shaped distribution.Quali-tative consideration has always toprecede quantitative ones.In the caseof recta-analysis,now fashionable inreview works,attention must be paidto the diversity of the literaturescovered.In fine,all hotchpotch treat-ments are to be lignidated now.
