2 min read•june 27, 2024
is a powerful statistical tool for comparing means across multiple groups. It helps researchers determine if there are significant differences between three or more groups, using an to assess variability between and within groups.
Interpreting ANOVA results involves examining the F-statistic, , and . If significant differences are found, post-hoc tests like can pinpoint which specific group means differ, helping researchers draw meaningful conclusions from their data.
Performs analysis to compare means across 3+ groups (age groups, treatment conditions) : All group means are equal, : At least one group mean differs Assumptions: Independent observations, normal residuals, equal variances Conducting one-way ANOVA in software:
F-statistic: Compares between-group to within-group variability
Higher F-statistic suggests larger differences between group means relative to within-group variability
P-value: Likelihood of observing the F-statistic or more extreme value if is true
Reject and infer at least one group mean differs if p-value < significance level (0.05)
Degrees of freedom:
df1 (numerator) = number of groups - 1
df2 (denominator) = total sample size - number of groups
ANOVA table displays sums of squares, degrees of freedom, mean squares, F-statistic, p-value
Effect size quantifies magnitude of group differences (, )
• : Overall average of all observations across all groups
Significant F-test in one-way ANOVA warrants post-hoc tests to identify which group means differ
Tukey's HSD test:
Compares all pairs of group means
Controls family-wise error rate to reduce Type I errors (false positives)
Computes HSD value from studentized range distribution
Group means considered significantly different if absolute difference > HSD value
Alternative post-hoc tests:
adjusts significance level for
compares each group mean to a control group
more conservative than Tukey's HSD but allows any contrast among means
Interpret post-hoc results together with one-way ANOVA to draw conclusions about specific group differences (mean test scores differ between low, medium, high anxiety groups)
• : Specific tests comparing two group means at a time
• : Extends one-way ANOVA to examine effects of multiple independent variables • Multiple comparisons: Various methods to control for Type I error when comparing multiple group means • : When the effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable depends on the level of another independent variable