Psionic Pstone Pstatistics: Background, Methods, and Results - Part 1

Psionic Pstone Pstatistics: Background, Methods, ind Results part 1 By Arglebargle Rumpleslitz Ritzleyhopper Dinklehoffer

Backgrounding: Power stones (pstones, or simply stones hereafter) are crystalline in form, ind contain ability for a psion to access or use one oj those powers or disciplines that is stored on the stone, once for each discipline that appears on the stone. Is ne necessary for psion to have previous access to such a discipline, thus power stones can be thought oj as psion pscrollies (although unlike zatatotic scrollies, casters ind rogues ind bards who can use scrolls can ne use pstones. Pstones have anywhere from 1-6 disciplines on them, once each (no dupes on same stone). Psions called stones meit 6 disciplines "strong stones". Strength oj stone may or may not be related to who ind where collected from, this could be subject oj a later study by someone else (ARGLE NOT IT!!).

Is ne yet known how pstones are created. They are often found as treasure collected by psionically aware humanoids or beasties who are killed by adventurers. These creatures may actually use them, or may just sense their power or feed off them somehow; such is unknown at this time.

Disciplines that only ever appear on non-power stone sources (Psionic Meditation Crystals) such as Harness Subconscious, Meditative Focus, Magnify ind Prolong, etc. were dismissed from this pstudy since they ne found on power stones - they are instead on charged items, not single-instance-using-upwards stones. Prolong having nothing to doing meit erection sustainings! Neen! Sameness for Magnify. Getting mind out oj Verlog Sewer, you!

Are also certain items that exhibit psion disciplines that CAN be used by non-psions. These items vary in usefulness, and include but are ne limited to items meit disciplines such as Combat Mind, Flesh Armor, True Sight, Catfall, Inertial Barrier, Dimension Door, psionic strength draining, % immunity protection from psionic disciplines, negating invoked disciplines, etc. These were also ignored for purposes oj this study.

Initial samples oj stones were subject to sampling error/bias. What is sampling error you may ask? Neen, is ne like a certain kenku sampling all the yummies cuppycakes or pies bakery left out by mistakings for cooling, but instead, is due to non-randomosity oj sampling. When stones were initially collected ind "addressed" to identify them, psions were paid by choice oj one per dozen they identified - this artificially selects from sample, those which a psion finds useful or desirable, and thus introduces bias or sampling error to sample groups. Maybe is small, maybe is large, but anywherely is therely, so Argle discarded early sampling group oj 50 stones from this collection oj 100 stones (saving for other uses) ind re-sampled to 100 random stones.

Methods 100 random stones surveyed, all disciplines evidenced tabulated ind counted for frequency, compared meit all known disciplines. Libraries oj psionic learning were perused ind various specialists questioned re: all known powers ind disciplines psions have manifested. Psquaring Pstatistics applied ind well-known charts oj results consulted ind compared to analyze data collected ind draw conclusions.

Do the disciplines appear meit equal frequency across a broad sample? Null hypothesis = equal frequency, alternate hypothesis = weighted, perhaps towards certain disciplines. Using certain tests oj statistical analysis, can determine if null hypothesis is true, or if is disproved, then alternate hypothesis is true. Is 100 stones a broad enough sample? Morely would be better, 1000 would probably be gudie number, but Argle ne patient enough to collect 1000 stones ind tabulate all those results. Besides, ne finding that many stones easily - getting 150 was hard enough! Psions hoard them in storage, carry around a bagful, etc. Non-psions who find them usually getting rid oj them or giving away to psion companions, or selling them in shoppies for various amounts, since can ne use them. Argle only used unaddressed-already stones for sample, gotten from many sources - some found personally, some bought, some given to him.

Results: 359 total instances appeared on the 100 stones. Average number of disciplines per stone = 3.59 - this compares favorably meit expected random results oj 1-6 (variance only 0.09, not significant), thus, one can presume number oj disciplines on a stone is random. This may be wrong presumption, will need further testing meit rigidly controlled acquisitions. Someone else doing, Argle NOT IT!

Next, is having some terms to explain: Degrees oj Freedom, ind P-value. Degrees oj Freedom - This having nothing to doing meit castings oj Freedom oj Movement divine zata or Freedom ability on overpriced items at auctions. Neen! Degrees oj freedom oj an estimate is the number oj independent pieces oj information that went into calculating the estimate. Is ne quite sameness as number oj items in sample; in order to get DF for the estimate, must subtract 1 from the number of items. Why is outside scope oj this bookie - A short course in statistics offered at Avlis Tower University will helping to understand, jaa. Degrees oj Freedom indicated by DF from now on, okies?

P-value - This is ne the amount oj coinies you could get in Verlog Docks District for selling urine for dye mordant! Neen! The p-value tells you if your test results are significant or ne. Is usually selected by researcher, gudie significance level is usually taken to be 0.05, (5%) but lower significance level can be selected if confidence must be extremely high. The significance level is the probability of making the wrong decision when your null hypothesis is true. This is Type 1 error - this having nothing to do meit Demons oj Type 1-6, naturally. A Type I error is the incorrect rejection oj a true null hypothesis; a Type 2 error is the failure to reject a false null hypothesis.

Below are some paired values from a known Psquared Pstatistics chart, where DF = 77, and p-values range from 99.5% to 0.1% Pairings oj numbers, are in parens, (a, b) and each pair is thus indicating (p-value in %, value oj statistic calculated). We will find which b-values our value oj statistic lies between, and thus have a reasonable estimate oj true p-value. Exact numbers could be found meit much better abacus, but estimate is fine for this purpose. P-values given range from 99.5% to 0.1%.

(0.995, 48.788) (0.975, 54.623) (0.20, 87.203) (0.10, 93.270) (0.05, 98.484) (0.025, 103.158) (0.02, 104.576) (0.01, 108.771) (0.005, 112.704) (0.002, 117.591) (0.001, 121.100)

100 stones surveyed, top 4 ind bottom 3 answers on the board:

Most frequent: Ballistic Attack 10 Biofeedback 10 Mental Barrier 10 Telekinesis 10

Least frequent (ne including those that ne appeared at all): Hallucination 1 Mind Thrust 1 Photosynthesis 1

(Continues in next book)