ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE IN STATISTICS

Introduction
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is a statistical method used to compare means among two or
more groups to determine if there are statistically significant differences between them. It
helps in understanding whether the variations observed among the means are due to actual
differences in the groups or if they are simply the result of random variation within the
sample.

ANOVA works by partitioning the total variation observed in a dataset into different sources,
such as the variation between groups and the variation within groups. It then compares the
ratio of these variations to assess whether the differences between group means are
significant relative to the variability within the groups.

There are several types of ANOVA depending on the number of factors and levels involved:

1. One-way ANOVA: This is used when there is only one categorical independent variable
(factor) with two or more levels, and it compares the means across these levels.

2. Two-way ANOVA: This involves two independent variables (factors), allowing for the
examination of their main effects and interaction effects on the dependent variable.

3. Three-way ANOVA: Similar to two-way ANOVA, but involves three independent

ANOVA is widely used in various fields such as psychology, biology, medicine, economics,
and engineering to analyze experimental and observational data where multiple
groups are compared.

One-way ANOVA is a statistical technique used to compare the means of three or more
groups to determine if there are statistically significant differences between them. It's called
"one-way" because there is only one independent variable (or factor) being analyzed. This
independent variable typically categorizes the subjects or items into different groups.

Non-parametric tests are statistical methods used for analyzing data that do not meet the
assumptions of parametric tests, such as normal distribution or homogeneity of variance.
These tests are also known as distribution-free tests because they do not rely on the
assumption of a specific distribution for the data. Non-parametric tests are often used when
the data is ordinal, skewed, or otherwise not normally distributed. Non-parametric tests are
generally considered less powerful than their parametric counterparts, especially when the
data meets the assumptions of parametric tests. However, they are robust and provide valid
results even when the assumptions of parametric tests are violated. Therefore, they are
valuable tools in situations where parametric tests cannot be used.

.The Kruskal-Wallis test is a non-parametric statistical test used to determine whether there
are statistically significant differences between the medians of three or more independent
groups. It's an extension of the Mann-Whitney U test, which is used for comparing two
independent groups.

The Kruskal-Wallis test is often employed when the assumptions of parametric tests like one-
way ANOVA (normal distribution of data, homogeneity of variances) are not met, especially
when dealing with ordinal or interval data that may not be normally distributed.

Aim : To compare the means among two or more groups using One way ANOVA test
and Kruskal Wallis Test.

Materials Required : SPSS Software with a computer system.

Procedure

In SPSS, conducting a One-Way ANOVA involves several steps.

1. **Data Preparation**:
 - Make sure your data is properly formatted with one column representing the dependent
variable (the outcome you're measuring) and another column representing the independent
variable (the groups you're comparing).

2. **Launch SPSS**:

- Open SPSS software on your computer.

3. **Import Data**:

- Import your dataset into SPSS by either clicking on "File" > "Open" or by using the data
import wizard.

4. **Variable View**:

- Ensure that the variables in your dataset are correctly labeled and defined. You should
have your dependent variable and independent variable properly identified.

5. **Analyze Menu**:

- Go to the "Analyze" menu at the top of the SPSS window.

6. **Compare Means**:

- Under the "Analyze" menu, navigate to "Compare Means" and then select "One-Way
ANOVA".

7. **Dependent Variable**:

- In the "One-Way ANOVA" dialog box, move your dependent variable (the outcome
variable) from the list of variables into the "Dependent List" box.
8. **Factor**:

- Move your independent variable (the grouping variable) into the "Factor" box.

9. **Options** (Optional):

- You can explore additional options by clicking on the "Options" button. Here you can
adjust settings such as confidence intervals, effect size measures, and post hoc tests.

10. **Post Hoc Tests** (Optional):

- If you suspect there might be differences between specific groups after running the
ANOVA, you can perform post hoc tests to identify which groups differ from each other. This
can be done by clicking on the "Post Hoc" button in the "One-Way ANOVA" dialog box and
selecting the appropriate post hoc test (e.g., Tukey's HSD, Bonferroni, etc.).

11. **Click OK**:

- Once you've set up your analysis, click "OK" to run the One-Way ANOVA in SPSS.

12. **Interpret Results**:

- SPSS will generate output containing various statistics, including the F-statistic, p-value,
and means for each group. Interpret these results to determine if there are significant
differences among the group means. Look at the p-value associated with the F-statistic; if it's
less than your chosen alpha level (usually 0.05), you reject the null hypothesis and conclude
that there are significant differences among the group means.

13. **Post Hoc Tests (If applicable)**:

- If you performed post hoc tests, interpret their results to identify which specific groups
differ from each other.
14. **Save Output**:

- Save the output for your records, as you might need it for reporting or further analysis.

Steps for Kruskal-Wallis Test in SPSS

1. Open SPSS and load your dataset.

2. Click Analyze → Nonparametric Tests → Independent Samples.

3. Select "Customize analysis" and click Fields.

4. Move the dependent variable (numeric) to "Test Fields" and the independent
variable (categorical) to "Groups".

5. Click Settings → Choose Kruskal-Wallis test under "Customize tests".

6. Click Run to execute the test.

7. Check the p-value in the output:

o If p < 0.05, groups are significantly different.

o If p ≥ 0.05, no significant difference.

INTERPRETATION

 Check the p-value in the ANOVA table

 If p < 0.05, the groups are significantly different.

 If p > 0.05, there’s no significant difference.

 Check means in the Descriptive Statistics table

 Compare group means to see which is higher or lower.

 If significant, check Post Hoc tests

 Find out which specific groups differ.