The Current Use of Statistics in Clinical and Health Psychology Under Review

Abstract

The use of statistics in any scientific discipline may be considered a key element in the assessment of the degree of maturity of a field and show the generation of non-spec- ulative knowledge. The aim of this study is to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the use of statistical methods in Clinical and Health Psychology. In order to achieve this aim, a group of 8 journals with an ISI impact index located in quartile 1 or quartile 2 were chosen, and 623 articles published in 2010 were reviewed. The main results show a ranking with the most used techniques and their distribution in each of the journals. This article presents a panoramic view of the degree of use of statistical methodology and its level of diversity and- complexity. Finally, a suggestion of the application of statistical models that are currently not present, but which may be very useful for research in Clinical and Health Psychology, is made. This information is most relevant for improving the quality of current research and education of new researchers.