Calculating and Reporting Estimates of Effect Size in Counseling Outcome Research

Abstract

The reporting effect sizes (ESs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of ESs has become recommended practice in the social sciences; however, these values are frequently omitted by authors in manuscripts submitted forPUBLICation. Consequently, the meaningfulness and clinical relevance of their findings go unaddressed. As a result, a growing number of scholarly journals now require researchers to incorporate findings of clinical significance in their reporting of results. In this article, we review the most common conventions used for estimating and reporting ESs and CIs of ESs and illustrate how researchers can compute and interpret these measures of practical significance.

• effect size
• confidence intervals
• practical significance
• outcome research

Notes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/orPUBLICation of this article.

Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/orPUBLICation of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joshua C. Watson

Joshua C. Watson, PhD, LPC (MS), NCC, is a professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A#x00026;M University-Corpus Christi. Dr. Watson has over 17 years of counseling experience in a variety of community mental health and college settings. His research interests include college student adjustment, counseling college student athletes, and process addiction assessment and treatment.

A. Stephen Lenz

A. Stephen Lenz, PhD, LPC (TX), LPC-MHSP (TN), is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A#x00026;M University-Corpus Christi. Dr. Lenz has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families in community-based, private practice, and university counseling settings. His research interests include community-based program evaluation, counseling outcome research, single-case research, instrument development, and holistic approaches to counseling, counselor education, and supervision.

Michael K. Schmit

Michael K. Schmit, PhD, LPC (TX), is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas. Dr. Schmit has over six years of clinical experience working with youth, adolescents, and adults providing mental health and substance abuse services. He is interested in researching the efficacy of integrated care treatment approaches in community mental health settings.

Erika L. Schmit

Erika L. Schmit, PhD, LPC (TX), is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Her clinical background includes work with children, adolescents, and adults in community agencies, schools, and inpatient hospital settings. Her primary research interests include counseling outcomes, inpatient settings, adolescent populations, and ethical issues in counseling.