Post Hoc Power: Tables and Commentary

Post hoc power is the retrospective power of an observed effect based on the sample size and parameter estimates derived from a given data set. Many scientists recommend using post hoc power as a follow-up analysis, especially if a finding is nonsignificant. This article presents tables of post hoc power for common t and F tests. These tables make it explicitly clear that for a given significance level, post hoc power depends only on the P value and the degrees of freedom. It is hoped that this article will lead to greater understanding of what post hoc power is—and is not. We also present a “grand unified formula ” for post hoc power based on a reformulation of the problem, and a discussion of alternative views. Key words: Post hoc power, Observed power, P value, Grand unified formula