PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
Description of Subjects
There was an equal number of male (18) and female
(19) subjects. None of the subjects had had previous psychotherapy,
dianetic or otherwise. The average age of the subjects was thirty-four
years, with 70% falling between twenty-two and forty-seven years.
Half of the group had either started high school or graduated
from high school. The other half had completed at least two years of
college, and two of the eighteen had Master of Arts degrees. These
were distributed approximately equally in each of the three groups.
From the average scores of the tests of intellectual
functioning used in this study, it was noted that the average subject was
placed in the eighty-fourth percentile of the general population. The
mean score for personality conflicts placed the average subject in the
sixty-first percentile of the general population, which indicates a significant
degree of personality disturbance according to the data published by
Rotter.
Intellectual Functioning
The raw score of intellectual functioning on each
of the two tests was obtained for each subject. These raw scores were
then transferred into standard scores by dividing the difference from the
published normative mean by the standard deviation for the respective test.
The negative values were then coded out by the addition of a constant
which was a number greater by one than the lowest value. This same
procedure was repeated for the results of the second testing session which
were obtained after the therapeutic interval.
For each subject, the difference between the average
score on the first test and the average score on the second test was calculated.
The sign was kept so that a positive value stood for an increase in
score. These scores were thereafter coded so that negative values were
obviated.
The final result was a coded difference score of intellectual
functioning for each subject. These were tabulated in accordance with
the experimental design and are presented in Table
I.
The division of a variable into sub-categories makes
the assumption in sampling that although the means of the categories are
significantly different (by construction), the sampling of these categories
should be from a common population. Since, in this study, no controls,
other than the variables themselves were used, randomness is a tenable a
priori assumption. However, there is always a possibility that
a statistical artifact has occurred in non-randomness of the scores of the
subjects who were randomly selected. This must always be tested first
before the variance of the scores is analyzed, since it is a necessary condition
of the analysis. The test of homogeneity was performed for each of
the major variables and the results are given in Table
II. From Table II it is noted that the probability levels for the
first three variables (therapy, education, and age) indicate a sufficient
degree of tenability for the hypothesis of homogeneity between the
subcategories.
However, the scores of random sequence are significantly
different among the sub-categories of first, second, and third choice for
each of the twelve sets of conditions. It should be remembered that
the subjects were assigned randomly to their positions in the sets of conditions.
Thus, a lack of randomness in the scores of these subjects is most
likely a statistical artifact rather than a reflection of the systematic
influence of some extrinsic factor. In this case, following common
procedure,1 an attempt was made to reduce the
artifact in the direction of homogeneity by transformations of the data.
The first of these transformations— indicated in
Table II by random sequence (2)— utilized
the square roots of the data. This was chosen because it is
recommended2 when the means and the variances
tend to be proportional. This condition obtained in these data.
However, the probability associated with this transformation still
did not permit the hypothesis of homogeneity.
The second transformation utilized logarithmic values.
This is also recommended when the means and the variances tend to be
proportional.3 Again, the hypothesis of
homogeneity was found to be untenable.
Following the rationale of Peters and Van
Voorhis4 for log logs which approximate the inverse
sine, the third transformation utilized the inverse sines of the data.
But, once more, the hypothesis of homogeneity was found to untenable.
Since the means were not only proportional to the variances
but were also similar to asymtotic relationships, the reciprocal values were
used for the next transformation.5 Still,
the hypothesis was found untenable.
Because none of these transformations had performed the
necessary stabilization of variance, reduction of skewness and normalizing
of the scores,6 the data were converted to "z"
values under the normal curve. This was tested— indicated in
Table II by random sequence (6)— and the
hypothesis of of homogeneity was found to be tenable.
Using these tested data, the various combinations of
variance were calculated. The results are presented in
Table III.
From Table III it is noted that the only significant
difference resides between the sub-categories of the age variable. This
demonstrates that, for this study, intellectual functioning varies with a
change in age. The average score for the younger group is 87.7 while
the average score for the older group is 78.1. The average age of the
younger group in twenty-seven while the average age for the older group is
forty-one. Thus we find that persons of forty-one do not score on tests
of intellectual functioning as well as persons of twenty-seven years of age.
Of course, this finding cannot be justifiably extended to the general
population because this sampling is not representative of the general
population— or, at least, this has not been demonstrated. Since
the scores on these tests of intellectual functioning are not corrected for
age differences within the adult population, it is not totally surprising
that there is a decrement after the age of thirty-five. David Wechsler
reports7 a decrement for the general population
on his test of intellectual functioning between the ages of twenty-seven
and forty-one which is 9 points. The data from this study show a decrement
of 9.6 points. It seems that these findings are mutually supporting.
Referring back to the first problem
(Chapter I: Specific Problems) for
which this study was designed to provide an answer, the data in
Table III support the conclusion that there
is no systematic influence exerted by dianetic therapy upon the level of
intellectual functioning. This evidence does not support that the claims
for dianetic therapy in this area are true. In addition, the data hold
as unsupportable any claim that dianetics will favorably affect intellectual
functioning, but this statement obtains only within the population which
is sampled by this study (persons from twenty-to to forty-seven years of
age who have had at least some high school education regardless of their
sex).
Arithmetical Ability
The raw score of arithmetical ability on each of
the two tests was obtained for each subject. These raw scores were
then transformed into standard scores through the division of the difference
from the published normative mean, by the standard deviation for the respective
test. The negative values were then coded out by the addition of a
constant— a number greater by one than the lowest value. This
same procedure was repeated for the results of the second testing situation
which were obtained after the therapeutic interval.
For each subject, the difference between the average
score on the first test and the average score on the second test was calculated.
The sign was kept so that a positive value stood for an increase in
score. These scores were coded so that negative values were obviated.
The final result was a coded difference score of mathematical ability
for each subject. These scores were tabulated in accordance with the
experimental design and are presented in Table
IV.
Following the rationale presented in the discussion of
the analysis of the scores of intellectual functioning, the data of Table
IV were tested for homogeneity of variance. The results are given in
Table V.
From Table V it was noted that the probability level
associated with each of the major variables is of a degree sufficient to
allow as tenable the hypothesis of homogeneity between sub-categories.
This satisfied the prerequisite condition for the analysis of the variance.
Using these tested data, the various combinations of variance were
calculated. The results are presented in Table
VI.
The data of Table VI provide an answer to the second
problem (Chapter I: Specific Problems)
which this study was designed to to investigate. The data show no evidence
of a systematic influence exerted by dianetic therapy upon the level of
mathematical ability. This evidence denies that the claims for dianetic
therapy in this area are true. In addition, the data hold as unsupportable
any contention that dianetic therapy will favorably affect mathematical ability,
but this statement holds only within the limits of the population which was
sampled by this study (persons from twenty-two to forty-seven years of age
who have had at least some high school education regardless of their sex).
Personality Conflicts
The raw score expressing the degree of personality
conflicts was obtained for each subject from Rotter's test for this
characteristic. This information was obtained again from the results
of the second testing session which took place after the therapeutic interval.
For each subject, the difference between the first test score and the
second test score was calculated. The sign was kept so that a positive
value stood for an increase in score (since the score itself is of an unfavorable
characteristic, an increase in score is an unfavorable outcome). These
scores were coded so that negative values were obviated. The final
result was a coded difference score of personalty conflicts for each subject.
These scores were tabulated in accordance with the experimental design
and are presented in Table VII.
Following the rationale presented under the foregoing
discussion of the analysis of the scores of intellectual functioning, the
data of Table VII were tested for homogeneity of variance. The results
are given in Table VIII.
From Table VIII it was noted that the probability level
associated with each of the major variables is of a degree sufficient to
allow as tenable the hypothesis of homogeneity between sub-categories.
This satisfied the prerequisite condition for the analysis of the variance.
Using these tested data, the various combinations of variance were
calculated. The results are presented in Table
IX.
The data of Table IX provide an answer to the third problem
(Chapter I: Specific Problems) which
this study was designed to to measure. The data support the finding
that there is no systematic influence exerted by dianetic therapy upon the
degree of personality conflicts. This evidence denies that the claims
for dianetic therapy in this area are true. In addition, the data hold
as unsupportable any claim that dianetic therapy will favorably affect the
degree of personality conflicts, but this statement holds only within the
limits of the population which was sampled in this study (persons from twenty-two
to forty-seven years of age who have had at least some high school education,
regardless of the sex of these persons).