Mathematical Manslaughter by Electronic Computers

The advent of electronic computers has been a boon far beyond the fondest dreams of the last generation's statisticians and psychometricians. Factorial analyses and other procedures, that would previously have been available only to the most advanced studies with strong financial support for the necessary computational manpower, are now within the reach of most master's theses. With these blessings, however, have come some evils. For one thing, it is no longer necessary to know more than the name of a statistic in order to utilize it. In addition, the electronic specialists themselves often cut corners to make computation feasible. But whether electronic computers become a blessing or a booby trap depends upon the care with which we watch for some of their inherent hazards.