Which is the Best Test to Use? Overview of Common Statistical Tests for Analyzing Relationships Between Variables / David J. Hardy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hardy, David J., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Variables (Mathematics).

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

London : SAGE Publications Ltd, 2025.

Summary:

A cornerstone of the scientific method, including in the psychological and social sciences, is the examination of relationships between variables. Characteristics of variables, including the scale of measurement and whether something can be considered an independent (or quasi-independent) or dependent variable, are examined. This How-to Guide provides an overview of the different kinds of variables out there and of the most common tests used to examine the potential relationships between variables. Tests include assessment techniques commonly covered in an introductory statistics course: the Pearson correlation, the Spearman correlation, the point-biserial correlation, special cases of the t test and analysis of variance, the χ2 test of independence, and simple linear regression. Examples use real data include variables relevant to the life of a college student, such as sleep, depression, biological sex at birth, and others. Primary features of statistical results discussed are degree (or magnitude) of association, direction of association, and the consideration of causality. The conceptual scope of causality goes well beyond the purview of this How-to Guide, but it is touched on briefly, with a warning about casual assertions of causality with quasi-independent variables, especially with group mean comparison analyses such as the t test and analysis of variance.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-03-622269-1

9781036222697

OCLC:

1523170664