Selecting the Appropriate Statistical Techniques.

Summary
1. One of the more efficient and effective methods of analyzing your data in connections with your
research objectives is the use of statistical techniques.
2. In the study where a statistical approach is needed, the first requirement is that the statistical test
you will use is appropriate.
3. The choice of a statistical test is dictated by the questions for which the research is designed, and
the level, distribution and dispersion of data.
4. Secondary considerations are: the extent of your knowledge of statistics and the availability of
resources in connection with the computation and interpretation of data.
5. Three items in connection with the nature of raw data are: The level of scale measurement under
which the raw data are classified, the distribution or shape of these data when organized as group,
and the within scatter of the same data.
6. The data on both the dependent and independent variables may be classified under one of the
following scales: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio
7. There are two general types of statistical tests: Parametric and non-parametric.
8. The Z-test of one sample mean is used is used to determine if an obtained sample mean or average
of scores or value is but a random sample from a population with a given or hypothesized population
mean.
9. The t-test for independent sample means is used to determine if an observed difference between
the averages of two independent groups is statistically significant.
10. The t-test for dependent sample means is used to determine if there is a significant difference
between two groups of correlated scores in terms of their means.
11. The one-way analysis of variance is used in order to determine if there are differences among
means of three or more.
12. The two-way analysis of variance, also called a factorial analysis of variance is employed in order
to determine the main and interaction effects of two independent factors.
13. When a significant value yielded by the analysis of variance test (also called F-value) occurs. There
is need to do a posteriori tests in order to determine which means are different.
14. The Pearson product moment correlation is employed when there are two sets of scores and you
would like to determine if the two sets are correlated.
15. The chi-square goodness of fit test tells if an observed frequency distribution on a variable differs
significantly from an expected or theoretical distribution of frequencies. The computation call for data
on either the nominal or ordinal level.
16. The ch-square test of association is used to determine whether or not two variables are associated
with each other.
“Page 290 and 291 of the book “Research Methods by Sevilla et. Al 1998”