Tests of significance have been a key tool in the research kit of behavioral scientists for nearly fifty years, but their widespread and uncritical use has recently led to a rising volume of controversy about their usefulness.

Introduction: A Preview of the Issues and an Overview of the Readings; One: Critical Historical Context; Introduction; 1: The Contemporary Crisis or the Uncertainties of Uncertain Inference; 2: Statistical Prudence and Statistical Inference; 3: Significance as Interpreted by the School of R. A. Fisher; Two: The Controversy in Sociology; Introduction; 4: The Notion of a Hypothetical Universe; 5: The Significance of Insignificant Differences; 6: Statistical Problems; 7: Note on Significance Tests; 8: Some Pitfalls of Data Analysis Without a Formal Criterion; 9: A Critique of Tests of Significance in Survey Research; 10: Comment on "A Critique of Tests of" Significance; 11: Reply to Gold's Comment on "A Critique of Tests of Significance"; 12: On "A Critique of Tests of Significance in Survey Research"; 13: Reply to Beshers; 14: Randomization and Inference in Sociological Research; 15: Some Statistical Problems in Research Design; 16: Theory, Probability, and Induction in Social Research; 17: The Sacredness of .05; 18: Common Misinterpretations of Significance Levels in Sociological Journals; 19: Criteria for Selecting a Significance Level:; 20: Statistical Tests and Substantive Significance; 21: Significance Tests Reconsidered; 22: Proof? No. Evidence? Yes. The Significance of Tests of Significance; Three: Criticism by Psychologists; Introduction; 23: The Statistical Concepts of Confidence and Significance; 24: The Fallacy of the Null Hypothesis Significance Test; 25: The Test of Significance in Psychological Research; 26: Theory Testing in Psychology and Physics; 27: Statistical Significance in Psychological Research; Four: Criticism from Other Quarters; Introduction; 28: Tests of Significance Considered as Evidence; 29: Publication Decisions and Their Possible Effects on Inferences Drawn from Tests of Significance-or Vice Versa; 30: Publication Decisions and Tests of Significance; Five: Epilogue; 31: Significance Tests in Behavioral Research