One sample z test for the mean - overview
This page offers structured overviews of one or more selected methods. Add additional methods for comparisons (max. of 3) by clicking on the dropdown button in the right-hand column. To practice with a specific method click the button at the bottom row of the table
One sample $z$ test for the mean | Spearman's rho | Sign test |
You cannot compare more than 3 methods |
---|---|---|---|
Independent variable | Variable 1 | Independent variable | |
None | One of ordinal level | 2 paired groups | |
Dependent variable | Variable 2 | Dependent variable | |
One quantitative of interval or ratio level | One of ordinal level | One of ordinal level | |
Null hypothesis | Null hypothesis | Null hypothesis | |
H0: $\mu = \mu_0$
Here $\mu$ is the population mean, and $\mu_0$ is the population mean according to the null hypothesis. | H0: $\rho_s = 0$
Here $\rho_s$ is the Spearman correlation in the population. The Spearman correlation is a measure for the strength and direction of the monotonic relationship between two variables of at least ordinal measurement level. In words, the null hypothesis would be: H0: there is no monotonic relationship between the two variables in the population. |
| |
Alternative hypothesis | Alternative hypothesis | Alternative hypothesis | |
H1 two sided: $\mu \neq \mu_0$ H1 right sided: $\mu > \mu_0$ H1 left sided: $\mu < \mu_0$ | H1 two sided: $\rho_s \neq 0$ H1 right sided: $\rho_s > 0$ H1 left sided: $\rho_s < 0$ |
| |
Assumptions | Assumptions | Assumptions | |
|
|
| |
Test statistic | Test statistic | Test statistic | |
$z = \dfrac{\bar{y} - \mu_0}{\sigma / \sqrt{N}}$
Here $\bar{y}$ is the sample mean, $\mu_0$ is the population mean according to the null hypothesis, $\sigma$ is the population standard deviation, and $N$ is the sample size. The denominator $\sigma / \sqrt{N}$ is the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of $\bar{y}$. The $z$ value indicates how many of these standard deviations $\bar{y}$ is removed from $\mu_0$. | $t = \dfrac{r_s \times \sqrt{N - 2}}{\sqrt{1 - r_s^2}} $ Here $r_s$ is the sample Spearman correlation and $N$ is the sample size. The sample Spearman correlation $r_s$ is equal to the Pearson correlation applied to the rank scores. | $W = $ number of difference scores that is larger than 0 | |
Sampling distribution of $z$ if H0 were true | Sampling distribution of $t$ if H0 were true | Sampling distribution of $W$ if H0 were true | |
Standard normal distribution | Approximately the $t$ distribution with $N - 2$ degrees of freedom | The exact distribution of $W$ under the null hypothesis is the Binomial($n$, $P$) distribution, with $n =$ number of positive differences $+$ number of negative differences, and $P = 0.5$.
If $n$ is large, $W$ is approximately normally distributed under the null hypothesis, with mean $nP = n \times 0.5$ and standard deviation $\sqrt{nP(1-P)} = \sqrt{n \times 0.5(1 - 0.5)}$. Hence, if $n$ is large, the standardized test statistic $$z = \frac{W - n \times 0.5}{\sqrt{n \times 0.5(1 - 0.5)}}$$ follows approximately the standard normal distribution if the null hypothesis were true. | |
Significant? | Significant? | Significant? | |
Two sided:
| Two sided:
| If $n$ is small, the table for the binomial distribution should be used: Two sided:
If $n$ is large, the table for standard normal probabilities can be used: Two sided:
| |
$C\%$ confidence interval for $\mu$ | n.a. | n.a. | |
$\bar{y} \pm z^* \times \dfrac{\sigma}{\sqrt{N}}$
where the critical value $z^*$ is the value under the normal curve with the area $C / 100$ between $-z^*$ and $z^*$ (e.g. $z^*$ = 1.96 for a 95% confidence interval). The confidence interval for $\mu$ can also be used as significance test. | - | - | |
Effect size | n.a. | n.a. | |
Cohen's $d$: Standardized difference between the sample mean and $\mu_0$: $$d = \frac{\bar{y} - \mu_0}{\sigma}$$ Cohen's $d$ indicates how many standard deviations $\sigma$ the sample mean $\bar{y}$ is removed from $\mu_0.$ | - | - | |
Visual representation | n.a. | n.a. | |
- | - | ||
n.a. | n.a. | Equivalent to | |
- | - |
Two sided sign test is equivalent to
| |
Example context | Example context | Example context | |
Is the average mental health score of office workers different from $\mu_0 = 50$? Assume that the standard deviation of the mental health scores in the population is $\sigma = 3.$ | Is there a monotonic relationship between physical health and mental health? | Do people tend to score higher on mental health after a mindfulness course? | |
n.a. | SPSS | SPSS | |
- | Analyze > Correlate > Bivariate...
| Analyze > Nonparametric Tests > Legacy Dialogs > 2 Related Samples...
| |
n.a. | Jamovi | Jamovi | |
- | Regression > Correlation Matrix
| Jamovi does not have a specific option for the sign test. However, you can do the Friedman test instead. The $p$ value resulting from this Friedman test is equivalent to the two sided $p$ value that would have resulted from the sign test. Go to:
ANOVA > Repeated Measures ANOVA - Friedman
| |
Practice questions | Practice questions | Practice questions | |