How to calculate Cohen’s d effect size in Excel
You know, in the world of research, it’s so common to fixate on that p-value. That tiny number, often below 0.05, signals “statistical significance!” It tells us, loud and clear, that the difference we found in our data probably isn’t just random chance, which is awesome. But here’s the thing, and it’s a critical point in modern research: “statistically significant” doesn’t automatically mean “practically important” or “a big deal”. A microscopic, almost trivial difference can show up as significant if your study has a huge number of participants. And conversely, a really meaningful difference might not quite hit that magic p-value if your sample is on the smaller side.
So, what’s often missing when we only look at p-values is the magnitude of that difference, the “how much does it actually matter?” question. That’s precisely where Cohen’s d steps in. It’s a powerhouse tool that lets you quantify the effect size – basically, how big and meaningful the difference between your two group averages really is, in a way that’s standardized and makes sense regardless of what you measured. It truly helps you answer that “so what?” question, and the cool part is, you can calculate it right there in your everyday Excel spreadsheet. Let’s just walk through it.