not significant

(NS) denoting a result from a statistical hypothesis-testing procedure that does not allow the researcher to conclude that differences in the data obtained for different samples are meaningful and legitimate. In other words, a result that is not significant does not permit the rejection of the null hypothesis; any observed differences are considered to be due to chance or random factors. Also called nonsignificant.

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Psychology term of the day

January 11th 2025

dose–response relationship

a principle relating the potency of a drug to the efficacy of that drug in affecting a target symptom or organ system. Potency refers to the amount of a drug necessary to produce the desired effect; efficacy refers to the drug’s ability to act at a target receptor or organ to produce the desired effect. Dose–response curves may be graded, suggesting a continuous relationship between dose and effect, or quantal, wherein the desired effect is an either–or phenomenon, such as prevention of arrhythmias. There is considerable variability among individuals in response to a given dose of a particular drug.