I thought many on the list might be interested in this notice about the death recently of Jacob Cohen. We have lost a giant in the field of statistics.

-- Lee

Lee Honeycutt (honeyl@rpi.edu) Doctoral Candidate in Communication & Rhetoric Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180-3590 http://www.rpi.edu/~honeyl/

>The following is a New York Times obituary: > >Cohen, Jacob, Ph.D. of Manhattan and South Wellfleet. On January 20, 1998. > >A recipient this past summer of an award from the American Psychological >Association for distinguished lifetime contributions, Dr. Cohen was >Professor Emeritus at New York University Department of Psychology. >According to Professors Leona Aiken and Stephen West of Arizona, "For more >than three decades Professor Cohen has shaped and reshaped the nature of >the treatment of data in psychological research. ... We can identify no >other person working in the areas of measurement, evaluation, and >statistics who has contributed more to the understanding of quantitative >issues in psychology than has Professor Cohen." > >For decades, he served as a consultant in statistics and research >methodology on almost every major mental health research project in the >metropolitan area and on many beyond. His popularity arose from the respect >that he accorded those whose substantive expertise was not necessarily >accompanied by statistical knowledge. He was able to convey complex >mathematical and statistical ideas to students, scientific peers and >clinicians with unusual clarity and force. > >His writings include Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral >Sciences, Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences with >coauthors Joan Welkowitz and Robert B. Ewen, Applied Multiple >Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences with his wife >Patricia Cohen, Life Goals and Adolescent Mental Health, also with his >wife, and countless professional articles. He is one of the psychologists >most frequently cited in the writings of others. > >Dr. Cohen's early accomplishments include the invention of a >chance-corrected index of agreement (Kappa), attention to the power of >research to detect effects present in the population, and the introduction >of multiple regression techniques into widespread use in psychology and >behavioral research. A much acclaimed 1994 article, "The Earth is Round >(p<.05)" challenged significance tests as potentially limiting the >advancement of many areas of behavioral research. He recommended that >publications focus on effect size measures and confidence intervals. The >article stimulated the Board of Scientific Affairs of APA to appoint a Task >Force on Statistical Inference which he co-chaired.. > >Cohen graduated early from high school and started at City College at the >age of 15. However, his academic career did not get off to a great start as >his major interests were ping pong and political action. His mother was >assured by the Dean that he would never graduate from college. He left >college and served in Army Intelligence in Europe during World War II. >Upon his return to the United States, he completed his Bachelor's Degree >at CCNY and went on to obtain his PhD in clinical psychology from NYU. > >Dr. Cohen was active in several professional organizations including the >American Psychological Association and the Society for Multivariate >Experimental Psychology, which he served as President. He served on >editorial boards and review committees of several professional journals. > >Cohen spent much of each day at the professional work which he loved. He >did, however, play bridge whenever the opportunity presented itself. He >greatly enjoyed his summer home on Cape Cod and many gatherings of family >and friends there. A remaining sign of an early interest in a career in the >Yiddish theater was his penchant for telling stories to family, friends, >and colleagues. > >Dr. Cohen is survived by his wife and colleague Patricia, his children >Marcia Cohen of Portland, Maine, Aviva Must of Swampscott, Mass., Erika >Waly-Bourne of Waltham, Mass., Gideon Cohen of Montreal, Canada, three >grandchildren and twelve nieces and nephews. > >Funeral services will be private. A memorial service will be held at a >later date. Donations in his memory can be made to the NAACP Legal, Defense >and Educational Fund, the Foundation for the Study of Independent Ideas >(publishers of Dissent), or the American Jewish World Service. >