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21 - Meta-analysis: Assessing Heterogeneity Using Traditional and Contemporary Approaches

from 3 - Methods for Understanding Consumer Psychology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2023

By
Blakeley B. McShane  and
Ulf Böckenholt
Edited by
Cait Lamberton ,
Derek D. Rucker  and
Stephen A. Spiller
Cait Lamberton
Affiliation:
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Derek D. Rucker
Affiliation:
Kellogg School, Northwestern University, Illinois
Stephen A. Spiller
Affiliation:
Anderson School, University of California, Los Angeles
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Summary

A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines and contrasts two or more studies of a common phenomenon. Its emphasis is on the quantification of the heterogeneity in effects across studies, the identification of moderators of this heterogeneity, and the quantification of the association between such moderators and effects. Given this, and in line with the growing appreciation for and embracement of heterogeneity in psychological research as not a nuisance but rather a boon for advancing theory, gauging generalizability, identifying moderators and boundary conditions, and assisting in future study planning, we make the assessment of heterogeneity the focus of this chapter. Specifically, we illustrate the assessment of heterogeneity as well as the advantages offered by contemporary approaches to meta-analysis relative to the traditional approach for the assessment of heterogeneity via two case studies. Following our case studies, we review several important considerations relevant to meta-analysis and then conclude with a brief summation.

Keywords

meta-analysisheterogeneitystatistical analysisconsumer research methods
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Psychology , pp. 572 - 603
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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