Two sample t test - equal variances not assumed - overview
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Two sample $t$ test - equal variances not assumed | $z$ test for the difference between two proportions | Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test | Logistic regression | Friedman test |
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Independent/grouping variable | Independent/grouping variable | Independent/grouping variable | Independent variables | Independent/grouping variable | |
One categorical with 2 independent groups | One categorical with 2 independent groups | One categorical with 2 independent groups | One or more quantitative of interval or ratio level and/or one or more categorical with independent groups, transformed into code variables | One within subject factor ($\geq 2$ related groups) | |
Dependent variable | Dependent variable | Dependent variable | Dependent variable | Dependent variable | |
One quantitative of interval or ratio level | One categorical with 2 independent groups | One of ordinal level | One categorical with 2 independent groups | One of ordinal level | |
Null hypothesis | Null hypothesis | Null hypothesis | Null hypothesis | Null hypothesis | |
H0: $\mu_1 = \mu_2$
Here $\mu_1$ is the population mean for group 1, and $\mu_2$ is the population mean for group 2. | H0: $\pi_1 = \pi_2$
Here $\pi_1$ is the population proportion of 'successes' for group 1, and $\pi_2$ is the population proportion of 'successes' for group 2. | If the dependent variable is measured on a continuous scale and the shape of the distribution of the dependent variable is the same in both populations:
Formulation 1:
| Model chi-squared test for the complete regression model:
| H0: the population scores in any of the related groups are not systematically higher or lower than the population scores in any of the other related groups
Usually the related groups are the different measurement points. Several different formulations of the null hypothesis can be found in the literature, and we do not agree with all of them. Make sure you (also) learn the one that is given in your text book or by your teacher. | |
Alternative hypothesis | Alternative hypothesis | Alternative hypothesis | Alternative hypothesis | Alternative hypothesis | |
H1 two sided: $\mu_1 \neq \mu_2$ H1 right sided: $\mu_1 > \mu_2$ H1 left sided: $\mu_1 < \mu_2$ | H1 two sided: $\pi_1 \neq \pi_2$ H1 right sided: $\pi_1 > \pi_2$ H1 left sided: $\pi_1 < \pi_2$ | If the dependent variable is measured on a continuous scale and the shape of the distribution of the dependent variable is the same in both populations:
Formulation 1:
| Model chi-squared test for the complete regression model:
| H1: the population scores in some of the related groups are systematically higher or lower than the population scores in other related groups | |
Assumptions | Assumptions | Assumptions | Assumptions | Assumptions | |
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Test statistic | Test statistic | Test statistic | Test statistic | Test statistic | |
$t = \dfrac{(\bar{y}_1 - \bar{y}_2) - 0}{\sqrt{\dfrac{s^2_1}{n_1} + \dfrac{s^2_2}{n_2}}} = \dfrac{\bar{y}_1 - \bar{y}_2}{\sqrt{\dfrac{s^2_1}{n_1} + \dfrac{s^2_2}{n_2}}}$
Here $\bar{y}_1$ is the sample mean in group 1, $\bar{y}_2$ is the sample mean in group 2, $s^2_1$ is the sample variance in group 1, $s^2_2$ is the sample variance in group 2, $n_1$ is the sample size of group 1, and $n_2$ is the sample size of group 2. The 0 represents the difference in population means according to the null hypothesis. The denominator $\sqrt{\frac{s^2_1}{n_1} + \frac{s^2_2}{n_2}}$ is the standard error of the sampling distribution of $\bar{y}_1 - \bar{y}_2$. The $t$ value indicates how many standard errors $\bar{y}_1 - \bar{y}_2$ is removed from 0. Note: we could just as well compute $\bar{y}_2 - \bar{y}_1$ in the numerator, but then the left sided alternative becomes $\mu_2 < \mu_1$, and the right sided alternative becomes $\mu_2 > \mu_1$. | $z = \dfrac{p_1 - p_2}{\sqrt{p(1 - p)\Bigg(\dfrac{1}{n_1} + \dfrac{1}{n_2}\Bigg)}}$
Here $p_1$ is the sample proportion of successes in group 1: $\dfrac{X_1}{n_1}$, $p_2$ is the sample proportion of successes in group 2: $\dfrac{X_2}{n_2}$, $p$ is the total proportion of successes in the sample: $\dfrac{X_1 + X_2}{n_1 + n_2}$, $n_1$ is the sample size of group 1, and $n_2$ is the sample size of group 2. Note: we could just as well compute $p_2 - p_1$ in the numerator, but then the left sided alternative becomes $\pi_2 < \pi_1$, and the right sided alternative becomes $\pi_2 > \pi_1.$ | Two different types of test statistics can be used; both will result in the same test outcome. The first is the Wilcoxon rank sum statistic $W$:
Note: we could just as well base W and U on group 2. This would only 'flip' the right and left sided alternative hypotheses. Also, tables with critical values for $U$ are often based on the smaller of $U$ for group 1 and for group 2. | Model chi-squared test for the complete regression model:
The wald statistic can be defined in two ways:
Likelihood ratio chi-squared test for individual $\beta_k$:
| $Q = \dfrac{12}{N \times k(k + 1)} \sum R^2_i - 3 \times N(k + 1)$
Here $N$ is the number of 'blocks' (usually the subjects - so if you have 4 repeated measurements for 60 subjects, $N$ equals 60), $k$ is the number of related groups (usually the number of repeated measurements), and $R_i$ is the sum of ranks in group $i$. Remember that multiplication precedes addition, so first compute $\frac{12}{N \times k(k + 1)} \times \sum R^2_i$ and then subtract $3 \times N(k + 1)$. Note: if ties are present in the data, the formula for $Q$ is more complicated. | |
Sampling distribution of $t$ if H0 were true | Sampling distribution of $z$ if H0 were true | Sampling distribution of $W$ and of $U$ if H0 were true | Sampling distribution of $X^2$ and of the Wald statistic if H0 were true | Sampling distribution of $Q$ if H0 were true | |
Approximately the $t$ distribution with $k$ degrees of freedom, with $k$ equal to $k = \dfrac{\Bigg(\dfrac{s^2_1}{n_1} + \dfrac{s^2_2}{n_2}\Bigg)^2}{\dfrac{1}{n_1 - 1} \Bigg(\dfrac{s^2_1}{n_1}\Bigg)^2 + \dfrac{1}{n_2 - 1} \Bigg(\dfrac{s^2_2}{n_2}\Bigg)^2}$ or $k$ = the smaller of $n_1$ - 1 and $n_2$ - 1 First definition of $k$ is used by computer programs, second definition is often used for hand calculations. | Approximately the standard normal distribution | Sampling distribution of $W$:
Sampling distribution of $U$: For small samples, the exact distribution of $W$ or $U$ should be used. Note: if ties are present in the data, the formula for the standard deviations $\sigma_W$ and $\sigma_U$ is more complicated. | Sampling distribution of $X^2$, as computed in the model chi-squared test for the complete model:
| If the number of blocks $N$ is large, approximately the chi-squared distribution with $k - 1$ degrees of freedom.
For small samples, the exact distribution of $Q$ should be used. | |
Significant? | Significant? | Significant? | Significant? | Significant? | |
Two sided:
| Two sided:
| For large samples, the table for standard normal probabilities can be used: Two sided:
| For the model chi-squared test for the complete regression model and likelihood ratio chi-squared test for individual $\beta_k$:
| If the number of blocks $N$ is large, the table with critical $X^2$ values can be used. If we denote $X^2 = Q$:
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Approximate $C\%$ confidence interval for $\mu_1 - \mu_2$ | Approximate $C\%$ confidence interval for $\pi_1 - \pi_2$ | n.a. | Wald-type approximate $C\%$ confidence interval for $\beta_k$ | n.a. | |
$(\bar{y}_1 - \bar{y}_2) \pm t^* \times \sqrt{\dfrac{s^2_1}{n_1} + \dfrac{s^2_2}{n_2}}$
where the critical value $t^*$ is the value under the $t_{k}$ distribution with the area $C / 100$ between $-t^*$ and $t^*$ (e.g. $t^*$ = 2.086 for a 95% confidence interval when df = 20). The confidence interval for $\mu_1 - \mu_2$ can also be used as significance test. | Regular (large sample):
| - | $b_k \pm z^* \times SE_{b_k}$ 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). | - | |
n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | Goodness of fit measure $R^2_L$ | n.a. | |
- | - | - | $R^2_L = \dfrac{D_{null} - D_K}{D_{null}}$ There are several other goodness of fit measures in logistic regression. In logistic regression, there is no single agreed upon measure of goodness of fit. | - | |
Visual representation | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | |
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n.a. | Equivalent to | Equivalent to | n.a. | n.a. | |
- | When testing two sided: chi-squared test for the relationship between two categorical variables, where both categorical variables have 2 levels. | If there are no ties in the data, the two sided Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test is equivalent to the Kruskal-Wallis test with an independent variable with 2 levels ($I$ = 2). | - | - | |
Example context | Example context | Example context | Example context | Example context | |
Is the average mental health score different between men and women? | Is the proportion of smokers different between men and women? Use the normal approximation for the sampling distribution of the test statistic. | Do men tend to score higher on social economic status than women? | Can body mass index, stress level, and gender predict whether people get diagnosed with diabetes? | Is there a difference in depression level between measurement point 1 (pre-intervention), measurement point 2 (1 week post-intervention), and measurement point 3 (6 weeks post-intervention)? | |
SPSS | SPSS | SPSS | SPSS | SPSS | |
Analyze > Compare Means > Independent-Samples T Test...
| SPSS does not have a specific option for the $z$ test for the difference between two proportions. However, you can do the chi-squared test instead. The $p$ value resulting from this chi-squared test is equivalent to the two sided $p$ value that would have resulted from the $z$ test. Go to:
Analyze > Descriptive Statistics > Crosstabs...
| Analyze > Nonparametric Tests > Legacy Dialogs > 2 Independent Samples...
| Analyze > Regression > Binary Logistic...
| Analyze > Nonparametric Tests > Legacy Dialogs > K Related Samples...
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Jamovi | Jamovi | Jamovi | Jamovi | Jamovi | |
T-Tests > Independent Samples T-Test
| Jamovi does not have a specific option for the $z$ test for the difference between two proportions. However, you can do the chi-squared test instead. The $p$ value resulting from this chi-squared test is equivalent to the two sided $p$ value that would have resulted from the $z$ test. Go to:
Frequencies > Independent Samples - $\chi^2$ test of association
| T-Tests > Independent Samples T-Test
| Regression > 2 Outcomes - Binomial
| ANOVA > Repeated Measures ANOVA - Friedman
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Practice questions | Practice questions | Practice questions | Practice questions | Practice questions | |