The evolution of data analyses in Japanese psychology1

Abstract

Abstract: A historical account of data analysis used in the journal, Japanese Journal of Psychology, was examined. Simple statistics were used before 1944. The number of articles that used statistical significance tests increased during the early 1950s, suggesting the occurrence of an inference revolution. This revolution mirrors what happened in the USA 5–10 years earlier. After 1960, the ANOVA overtook the t‐test as the most popular data analysis tool. Multivariate analyses became more widespread after the 1980s. The history of Japanese psychology can be segmented into four periods from the point of view of the statistical methods used: (a) the simple statistics age (1926–1944); (b) the diversification of statistical methods age (1948–1950s); (c) ANOVA, the king of statistics, age (1960s−1970s); and (d) the spread of multivariate analyses age (1980s–present). The use of a qualitative approach in psychology is discussed.