| Abstract: | Reviews "Design for decision," by Irwin D. J. Bross (see record 1954-05210-000). Some American statisticians maintain that in Wald's decision theory modern statistics, as a system of inductive logic, has progressed as far beyond Fisher as Fisher advanced it beyond the Pearsonian era. In this book, Bross successfully describes, in a nontechnical style, how statistical tests and estimation relate to the broad modern conceptions of statistical decision and game theory. This he does with frequent humorous, or even facetious asides. The book is singularly free of error, because Bross is capable of dealing with each item at a far more technical level than was required for his present task. I do believe he could have let his readers know, in many instances, that there are effective standard mathematical methods for obtaining decision makers. Also, he fails to clarify the differences between experiments and normative studies with all their critical implications. I highly recommend "Design for Decision" to all who want a painless injection of the simple, basic ideas which have revolutionized modern statistics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
