Data Analysis Using

Different Statistics and

Hypotheses Testing
 Learning Objective
 To plan for data analysis using
different statistics and
hypotheses testing
(if appropriate)
Key Understanding
• Understanding how to plan for data
analysis using different statistics and
hypotheses testing

Key Question
 How is planning for data analysis using
different statistics and hypotheses testing
done?
 Steps in Quantitative Data Analysis

1. Preparing the Data

 Coding System
 Data Tabulation

2. Analyzing the Data

Test Statistics
- Is a mathematical formula that allows
researchers to determine the likelihood of
obtaining sample outcomes if the null
hypotheses were true.
- The value of the test statistic is used to make
a decision regarding the null hypothesis.
Statistical Tests
Univariate Descriptive
Central Tendency
Mode - the most commonly occurring value
ex: 6 people with ages 21, 22, 21, 23, 19, 21 –
mode = 21
Median • the center value
ex: 6 people with ages 21, 22, 24, 23, 19, 21 line
them up in order form lowest to highest 19, 21, 21,
22, 23, 24 and take the center value - mode =21.5
Statistical Tests
Central Tendency
Mean - the mathematical average
ex: mean age = age of person one + age of person
two + age of person three, etc./number of people
Variance - a measure of how spread out a
distribution is. It is computed as the average
squared deviation of each number from its mean
Statistical Tests
Central Tendency
Standard Deviation
 how much scores deviate from the mean
 it is the square root of the variance
 it is the most commonly used measure of spread
Bi-and Multivariate Inferential Statistical Tests

Chi Square - compares observed frequencies to

expected frequencies
 ex: Is the distribution of sex and voting behavior
due to chance or is there a difference between
the sexes on voting behavior?
t-Test - looks at differences between two groups
on some variable of interest; the IV must have only
two groups (male/female, undergrad/grad)
 ex: Do males and females differ in the amount of
hours they spend shopping in a given month?
Bi-and Multivariate Inferential Statistical Tests

ANOVA - tests the significance of group differences

between two or more groups; the IV has two or more
categories.
 ex: Do NSAT scores differ for low-, middle-, and
high-income students?
ANCOVA - same as ANOVA, but adds control of one
or more covariates that may influence the DV
 ex: Do NSAT scores differ for low-, middle-, and
high-income students after controlling for single/dual
parenting?
Bi-and Multivariate Inferential Statistical Tests

MANOVA - same as ANOVA, but you can study two or

more related DVs while controlling for the correlation
between the DV; if the DVs are not correlated, then
separate ANOVAs are appropriate
 ex: Does economic status affect reading achievement,
math achievement, and overall scholastic achievement
among 6 graders?
MANCOVA - same as MANOVA, but adds control of
one or more covariates that may influence the DV
 ex: Does economic status affect reading achievement,
math achievement, and overall scholastic achievement
among 6 graders after controlling for social class?
Bi-and Multivariate Inferential Statistical Tests

Correlation - used with two variables to determine a

relationship/association; do two variables covary?; does not
distinguish between independent and dependent variables
 ex: Amount of damage to a house on fire and number of
firefighters at the fire
Multiple Regression - used with several
independent variables and one dependent variable;
used for prediction; it identifies the best set of predictor
variables.
 ex: IVs drug use, alcohol use, child abuse DV, suicidal
tendencies
Hypothesis testing or
significance testing
- Is a method for testing a claim or hypothesis
about a parameter in a population, using data
measured in a sample.
- In this method, we test some hypothesis by
determining the likelihood that a sample statistic
could have been selected, if the hypothesis
regarding the population parameter were true.
 FOUR STEPS TO HYPOTHESIS TESTING

Step 1: State the hypotheses.

 We begin by stating the value of a population
mean in a null hypothesis, which we presume is
true.
 Keep in mind that the only reason we are testing
the null hypothesis is because we think it is
wrong. We state what we think is wrong about
the null hypothesis in an alternative hypothesis.
 FOUR STEPS TO HYPOTHESIS TESTING

Step 2: Set the criteria for a decision.

 To set the criteria for a decision, we state the
level of significance for a test.
 Likewise, in hypothesis testing, we collect data to
show that the null hypothesis is not true, based
on the likelihood of selecting a sample mean
from a population (the likelihood is the criterion).
 FOUR STEPS TO HYPOTHESIS TESTING
Step 3: Compute the test statistic
 A test statistic tells us how far, or how many
standard deviations, a sample mean is from the
population mean. The larger the value of the test
statistic, the further the distance, or number of
standard deviations, a sample mean is from the
population mean stated in the null hypothesis.
 FOUR STEPS TO HYPOTHESIS TESTING

Step 4: Make a decision

 We use the value of the test statistic to make a
decision about the null hypothesis. The decision
is based on the probability of obtaining a sample
mean, given that the value stated in the null
hypothesis is true.

Reject the null hypothesis.

Retain the null hypothesis
 FOUR STEPS TO HYPOTHESIS TESTING

Step 4: Make a decision

 When the p value is less than 5% (p < .05), we
reject the null hypothesis. We will refer to p < .05
as the criterion for deciding to reject the null
hypothesis, although note that when p = .05, the
decision is also to reject the null hypothesis.
 When the p value is greater than 5% (p > .05),
we retain the null hypothesis. The decision to
reject or retain the null hypothesis is called
significance.
Example:
Table 1 Reason for Involvement
in Evaluation Stage
Reason for Evaluation  Statistical    
Participation Test Value Interpre-
tation
No Yes    

  Economic 27 7 Chi-Square .00001 Significant

Personal 11 17  
Social Service 53 5  

Chi-square test yield a p-value of .00001 which is smaller than the

significance level alpha = 0.05. This result rejects the null hypothesis
and accepts the alternative hypothesis that there is a significant
association between the project participants’ reason for participation
in the evaluation stage.