Lay readers can understand statistical results by reading the plain-English narrative descriptions

Evidence

Most statistical analyses presented in research reports test specific hypotheses. Often, each analysis presented is preceded by a reminder of the hypothesis it is meant to test. After an analysis is presented, researchers usually provide a narrative description of the result in plain English. When the hypothesis tested by a statistical analysis is not explicitly stated, you can usually determine the hypothesis that was tested by reading this narrative description of the result, and referring back to the introduction to locate an hypothesis that corresponds to that result. After even the most complex statistical analysis, there will be a written description of what the result means conceptually. Turn your attention to these descriptions. Focus on the conceptual meaning of research findings, not on the mechanics of how they were obtained (unless you’re comfortable with statistics). — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4570

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes that results sections always pair statistics with conceptual narrative descriptions, a reading strategy for non-statisticians.
• XREF: connects to: Deep stories furnish ready-made narrative lenses for interpreting the world. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 228