exchange with commentators

Is it taboo to use a test’s power to assess what may be learned from the data in front of us? (Is it limited to pre-data planning?) If not entirely taboo, some regard power as irrelevant post-data[i], and the reason I’ve heard is along the lines of an analogy Stephen Senn gave today (in a comment discussing his last post here)[ii].

Senn comment: So let me give you another analogy to your (very interesting) fire alarm analogy (My analogy is imperfect but so is the fire alarm.) If you want to cross the Atlantic from Glasgow you should do some serious calculations to decide what boat you need. However, if several days later you arrive at the Statue of Liberty the fact that you see it is more important than the size of the boat for deciding that you did, indeed, cross the Atlantic.

My fire alarm analogy is here. My analogy presumes you are assessing the situation (about the fire) long distance. Continue reading →