TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Brodeur, Abel
AU  - Cook, Nikolai
AU  - Heyes, Anthony
AU  - Wright, Taylor
        TI  - Media Stars: Statistical Significance and Research Impact
        PY  - 2025/Jul/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 18034
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp18034
        AB  - How efficiently do scientific results make their way into the wider world? Applying multiple methods to the universe of hypothesis tests reported in three leading health journals between 2016 and 2022 we evidence the important role of statistical significance as a driver of popular attention to research results. For example, a research finding with significance that places it marginally inside the arbitrary 5% threshold attracts 60 to 110% more real world attention than one with significance marginally outside that threshold. We explore underlying mechanisms and argue that the results have important implications for the (in)efficiency of science translation.
        KW  - p-hacking
KW  - social media
KW  - news media
KW  - popular science
KW  - knowledge mobilization
KW  - statistical significance
KW  - hypothesis testing
KW  - publication bias
KW  - research credibility
        ER  -