Definition Argument
January 25th, 2022 - Draft
"Think back to when you last heard the word “significance.” If you took some English
classes back in high school, maybe the teacher asked you what the significance of a specific scene was. Or, as a STEM person, you have often heard the word used when p-level is less than 0.05 and tacked on after “statistical.” So, if I were to ask you to define significance, how would you define the word?
With a quick Google search, three definitions of significance headline the webpage. The
first definition for both the Oxford Languages and Merriam-Webster dictionaries is “the quality of being worthy of attention; importance.” Words that are often associated with this definition are “importance,” “import,” “consequence,” “substance,” “gravity,” and “magnitude” among other synonyms. A commonality between some of these synonyms is that they have to do with heaviness and weight. Additionally, MacMillan dictionary adds that “significance” is important because it affects other things. When used in sentences, this form of significance often has to do with comparisons. In other words, when you say something is of significance, you are essentially ranking this object above at least one other thing in relevance. You are also assigning something to be significant, meaning that this word cannot exist if it isn’t attached to something. Hence, prepositions like “of'' and “for” usually follow.
The second definition explores significance as a meaning in the context of words and
events. Similar to the first definition, significance is assigned to something such as a date or object. The difference is that Merriam Webster adds to this definition by saying significance is conveyed “obscurely” or “indirectly.” Here is where the high school English class comes into play. Remember when your teacher asked you what’s the significance of the green light in The Great Gatsby? At first glance, there is not a deeper meaning. But somehow, the green light implies Gatsby’s inability to figuratively and literally reach this “light” also known as the love interest, Daisy Buchanan. So unlike the first definition, sometimes this significance is not stated outright to another object.
These first two definitions sound quite similar the first time you encounter them.
However, I think there is a nuance that separates them. In 2021, omicron’s spike protein is of great importance and uniqueness compared to other variants for scientists and the general public (wish.tv). The rose petals at Betty White’s tribute is an intimate reference to her character Rose in the show Golden Girls (HITC). It is not obvious at first glance, but significance cannot be exchanged in these examples because of the different connotations implied. There is no deeper meaning of the spike protein–it is simply a potential danger for health. One can argue that the rose is of great importance, but the second definition implies that there is more to this rose than what is on the surface.
Unsurprisingly, the third definition of significance is used in the context of statistics. It is
“the extent to which a result deviates from the expected to arise simply from random variation or errors in sampling” (Oxford Languages). I mentioned p < 0.05 as a measure of significance. What this means is that there is less than a 5% chance a result could occur from randomness. If I were to create a new drug for migraines, there must be a statistically significant difference in the number of migraines experienced after taking the drug. Statistical significance determines whether a treatment worked or if the results are due to chance only. While this definition seems very distant from the previous two, we can still see that significance indicates that something is different from another.
As we can see, significance has multiple meanings depending on the context. Why do we
need to differentiate between these definitions? Now, let’s go back to the hypothetical migraine drug I developed. So let’s say that this migraine drug supposedly decreases headache frequency by twice the amount. However, the difference in my results is greater than 0.05 and, therefore, statistically insignificant. Should I scrap my drug development because my results only occur 6% of the time by chance instead of 5%? No, of course not! However, many scientists would look at this number and say there is no association between my drug and migraine frequency.
Especially in science, confusion is prevalent regarding statistical versus practical
significance.
“I feel torn between asking the questions that I know will lead to statistical significance and asking questions that matter.” - Vox
“An analysis of 791 articles across 5 journals found that half mistakenly assume nonsignificance means no effect.” - Nature
These two articles illustrate the importance of differentiating between the two. So what if
it is statistically significant that a drug increases heart rate by one bpm? In a practical sense, there is no point in purchasing and using it since it has such little effect on the body.
While this is only one example of how significance can be challenged, it is still essential
to grasp all the definitions. Each definition mentions significance as a difference between two things. We had concluded that while the first two definitions are similar, there is an element of deeper meaning behind the second definition compared to the first. As you can see, significance can also be the dealbreaker to developing or abandoning new interventions/solutions.
You start out by dropping these two specific defintions, which is an effective sort of zero-to-sixty kind of move. Before ending this intro with the question though, would it be worth taking a moment to generalize about these specifics a bit though? Something about “While both of these terms ____ , there are obvious differences, etc etc” that might lead to your discussion below a bit more?
This is an interesting and effective dive into this first meaning, with good paraphrasing that sets up contrasts later, but I’m struck by the amount of similarity there is with other meanings too. You might want to begin this paragraph with a bit of a theoretical frame – a generalizing topic sentence – that gives readers a sense of what this particular definition emphasizes so readers are set up to see your discussion through that lens. Does that make sense? Your next section does some of that in its compare/contrast work early on, so you might even think about how you might do another version of that?
I think you’re being really selective about when you decide to talk directly to your readers in a more informal way, which is smart and makes the moves especially effective (some of your classmates said similar things about when Mortenson did this).
You’re moving really slowly through these comparisons, which helps you to lead readers step-by-step to the important differences in these words. This is a good generalizing intro, which is directly followed by specifics, sort of like the first example we looked at in class the other day.
Could you put this definition in dialogue with the other two you’ve just been talking about? How does this link to the distinctions you were just drawing in the previous paragraph?
THIS is where the real meat is! I would dig quite a bit deeper into how each are about something being different from other things.
I use So like this really frequently too. But I always tend to ask myself what work it’s doing – what meaning it’s adding – in case it just sort of tips the scales to overly-informal writing. You might want to do the same, just to be aware of that kind of spectrum.
How could you lead into these two important quoted examples?
So where to go from here now that we know this?
February 5th, 2022 - Reflection
From the definition writing paper, I found that my structure/purpose of the paper and explanations are still on the weaker side while my use of evidence is strong.
A weakness in this paper is the lack of purpose or point. In argumental writing, it is essential the readers know what you’re trying to argue. I noticed that right from the beginning that I lacked a thesis. My original intention for the paper was to explore “significance” in three different contexts, so I didn’t consider the argument in writing the paper in the first place. My reviewers pointed out how I could use anecdotes and personal moments to lead into the paper more. I should also include a sentence stating what I will be arguing in the paper. I agree with this suggestion because there seems to be a jump from the introduction into the first definition. This suggestion will also help let my readers know what exactly I’m trying to argue. I plan to add a thesis to the paper so I can address the purpose issue and smoothly transition into the rest of my paper. The first sentence of the second paragraph is also jumping in too quickly. I write, “The first definition for both the Oxford Languages and Merriam-Webster dictionaries is…” During peer review, my reviewers pointed out that I should include a general statement that encompasses what I will be talking about in the next paragraph. I agree that maybe I could approach this issue by rereading the paragraph and/or looking at the sample writings and brainstorming from there. I do think that the paragraph after my first definition has a general enough statement. The paragraph introducing statistical significance needs a stronger transition. I also should state clearly what I will be discussing in that specific paragraph. I should not use “unsurprisingly” as a transition and instead focus on what makes the third definition different from the previous two.
Another weakness is my analysis. While I had good evidence, I couldn’t use it properly to support my point, and I did not delve deep enough for some sections. Since high school, I’ve had trouble “stating the obvious,” where I assume the reader knows what I’m thinking, so I end up not elaborating my thoughts further. There are moments in the paper where I could expand more on my thinking. My reviewers have mentioned the statistical significance section as very interesting, and they would like to read more about it. Specifically, I can expand on the two quotes, one by Nature and the other by Vox, and utilize them for my argument. As of right now, the two quotes are just stated but not analyzed to show the importance of understanding the word significance is. Instead of blocking these quotes out into their own space in the original draft, I will try to integrate them into my argument and have at least a sentence or two that further explains why this quote shows how practical significance and statistical significance get mixed up and what's the consequence of that. I think while I have an idea of what are the consequences are, I’m again assuming my readers can read my mind. So, I will spend some time just writing my analysis onto the page and try to piece them together to support my argument. I often ran into this problem back in high school and I resolved it by overexplaining my point. As for the comment that says my first and second definitions are too similar, I will do more research into the usages of significance and come up with a clearer dichotomy between my first two definitions. I think there’s a reason why the dictionary has separated the two definitions. I can also expand on the wish.tv and Golden Girls reference to state outright what are the differences between the two.
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April 28th, 2022 - Final
Think back to when you last heard the word “significance.” If you took some English classes back in high school, maybe the teacher asked you what the significance of a specific scene was. Or, as a STEM person, you may have often heard the word used when p-level is less than 0.05 and tacked on after “statistical” (what this means is that there is less than a 5% chance a result could occur from randomness). While both these terms emphasize importance, there are some subtle differences when their usages are closely examined. Consider this: how would you define significance?
For me, the first thing I associate with “significance” is related to statistics and how a significant result can be useful in medicine when coming up with a new treatment. Can we replace an expensive, difficult to synthesize drug with a cheaper one that works at the same or even greater level of efficacy? The word significance plays a huge role in my studies as a pre-medical student as well as in my daily life. When I choose to attend one event or another, the one I go to is likely more significant to me in some way than the other event. When we are comparing two options to each other, we are always considering the significance or importance of each option to our lives. However, the word “significance” may not mean the same thing to each person depending on the context and situation in which it is being used. Throughout this paper, we’ll take a tour through the many usages of this one word and how its definitions overlap and contrast and why it's important to consider each unique context. Especially in STEM and Humanities, “significance” can be the objective deal-breaker for new interventions or it can be the subjective interpretation and analysis for a reader.
After scouring the internet and skimming dictionaries, I found three major definitions of the word “significance” that can only be used in their own unique contexts. The first definition from both the Oxford Languages and Merriam-Webster dictionaries is “the quality of being worthy of attention; importance.” Words that are often associated with this definition are “importance,” “import,” “consequence,” “substance,” and “gravity” among other synonyms. A commonality between some of these synonyms is that they have to do with heaviness and weight. Additionally, MacMillan dictionary adds that “significance” is important because it affects another noun. When used in sentences, this form of significance often has to do with comparisons. In other words, when you say something is of significance, you are essentially ranking this object above at least one other thing in relevance.
Diving into the specifics of “significance” in the humanities, the second definition explores significance as a meaning in the context of words and events. Similar to the first definition, significance is assigned to something such as a date or object. The difference that Merriam Webster adds to this definition is saying significance is conveyed “obscurely” or “indirectly.” Here is where the high school English class comes into play. Remember when your teacher asked you what the significance of the green light in The Great Gatsby was? At first glance, there is no deeper meaning. But, the green light signifies his love interest Daisy and wealth, which Gatsby desires but is unable to reach.
So unlike the first definition, sometimes this significance is not stated outright.
These first two definitions sound quite similar the first time you encounter them. However, I think there is a nuance that separates them. For example, in 2021, omicron’s spikes on the surface of the virus, the part that attacks your body’s cells, is of great importance compared to other variants for scientists and the general public (wish.tv). The rose petals at Betty White’s tribute are an intimate reference to her character Rose in the show Golden Girls (HITC). It is not obvious at first glance, but significance cannot be exchanged in these examples because of the different connotations implied. There is no deeper meaning of the spike protein — it is simply a potential danger for health. One can argue that the rose is of great importance, but the second definition implies that there is more to this rose than what is on the surface. The spike protein is objective and needs to be told to the masses, while Betty White’s tribute is for a circle of people who understand why the rose is important to her.
Diving deeper into the specifics of “significance,” the third definition is primarily used in the context of statistics and scientific experiments. It is “the extent to which a result deviates from the expected to arise simply from random variation or errors in sampling” (Oxford Languages). I mentioned p < 0.05 as a measure of significance. If I were to create a new drug for migraines, there must be a statistically significant difference in the number of migraines experienced after taking the drug compared to not taking it. Statistical significance determines whether a treatment worked or if the results are due to chance only. While this definition seems very distant from the previous two, we can still see that significance indicates that something is different from another. An intervention that is statistically significant is different from the control, and something that is significant distinguishes itself from other things.
To explore why understanding the meaning of statistical significance is important, let’s go back to the hypothetical migraine drug I developed. Let’s say that this migraine drug supposedly decreases headache frequency by twice the amount compared to not taking it. However, the difference in my results is greater than 0.05 and, therefore, statistically insignificant. Should I scrap my drug development because my results only occur 6% of the time by chance instead of 5%? No, of course not! However, many scientists would look at this number and say there is no association between my drug and migraine frequency. Alternatively, another situation would be supporting a drug that significantly increased heart rate by beats per minute. So what if it is statistically significant that a drug increases heart rate by one bpm? In a practical sense, there is no point in purchasing and using it since it has such little effect on the body.
Especially in science, confusion is prevalent regarding statistical versus practical significance even among professionals and experts in the field. Here are some quotes that experts have expressed about statistical significance:
“I feel torn between asking the questions that I know will lead to statistical significance and asking questions that matter.” - Vox
“An analysis of 791 articles across 5 journals found that half mistakenly assume non-significance means no effect.” - Nature
These two articles illustrate the importance of differentiating between practical and statistical significance. The Vox and Nature quotes shed some light into how statistical significance has probably led to researchers modifying important questions to support their statistical data. If their results are above the p-value mark, many scientists give up on that work and end up looking for something else just so they can publish a positive report. The worship around the p-value leads many researchers to only reject without critically thinking about their results. There could be many more groundbreaking findings that encourage other researchers to try new strategies or prevent others from going the same path. We cannot solely depend on that statistically significant number that can be affected by many variables to make those decisions that impact people’s lives.
I wanted to highlight how the objective and subjective uses of significance can be important in our lives. When thinking about each definition mentioned, there are obvious differences but there are also subtle ones. Statistical significance is clearly heavily dependent on numbers while the English and general definition of significance really emphasize the person’s own views. A conflict can arise when these definitions are kept separate from each other. When thinking about using significance, people should understand that every one of us may consider one thing more significant than another. That decision is arbitrary and a personal choice, not something that everyone should view as significant for themselves as well. In science, there cannot be one objective number to determine the significance of medical or general interventions. Sometimes a black and white approach to research has led to many scientists dismissing results that have the potential of contributing to something groundbreaking. In academia and beyond, there will always be instances where a combination of each perspective is essential in determining what is significant.
Citations:
https://www.wishtv.com/news/doctor-explains-significance-of-omicrons-36-spike-protein-mutations/
https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/01/18/betty-white-rose-petals/
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