Non-parametric tests

CHAPTER 12

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 OUTLINE

 Non-parametric Statistics
Chi-square
Spearman Correlation
Mann-Whitney U Test
Kruskal Wallis Test
 Advantages of Nonparametric Tests

1. Used with all scales

2. Easier to compute
3. Make fewer assumptions

4. Need not involve population parameters

5. Results may be as exact as parametric procedures

 When to use non-parametric statistics

1. Nominal & ordinal scales

2. Small sample
3. Do not meet assumptions (e.g. not normally distributed)
5

Non-Parametric Tests Keywords Parametric Tests

Chi-square test Association (between 2 -
categorical variables)
Spearman’s correlation Relationship (between Pearson’s correlation
2 interval/ratio
variables)
Mann-Whitney U Test Independent samples t-test
Compare differences
Wilcoxon Tests Paired samples t-test
Kruskal-Wallis Test One-way between groups ANOVA
Compare differences
Friedman Test One-way within groups ANOVA
 Chi-Square Test (Χ )
2 – Test for Association

• To explore the association between two categorical

variables.
• Each of these variables can have two or more categories.
• Based on a cross tabulation table, with cases classified
according to the categories in each variable (e.g. male/female;
smoker/non-smoker).
 Chi-Square Test (Χ )
2 for independence

Variable requirements:
o Two categorical variables, with two or more categories
in each:
Variable 1: gender (Male/Female)
Variable 2: smoker (Yes/No)
 Chi-Square Test (Χ )
2

Example: gender (male, female), smoking behavior (yes/no)

Research Objective:
To examine the association between gender and smoking behaviour.
Research Question:
Is there an association between gender and smoking behaviour?
Research Hypothesis:
There is a significant association between gender and smoking
behaviour.
Chi-square test using SPSS
A statistic that help you to
determine the likelihood of the
association found is significant or
not.
If you have a 2 by 2 table (i.e. each
variable has only two categories), you
should use the value in the second row
(Continuity Correction). A slight
adjustment made to the calculation of
chi square statistic.
Significant or
Not Significant?
This means that the proportion of
males who smoke is not
significantly different from the
proportion of females who smoke.
There appears to be no association
between
smoking status and gender.
• For this example 17.9% of
males were smokers, while
82.1 per cent were non-
smokers.

• For females, 20.6% were

smokers, 79.4 percent non-
smokers.

• To ensure that you are

reading the correct values,
make sure that the two
percentages add up to
100%.
• Percentage of the sample
as a whole smoked, refer
to total row which
summarises across both
sexes.
• Look at the values next to
% of Total.
• 19.5% of the sample
smoked, 80.5% being
non-smokers.
 Effect size
• For 2 by 2 tables, report the phi coefficient • The phi coefficient provides a
measure of the strength of
• For tables larger than 2 by 2, report Cramer’s V the association between two
variables by using chi-square
but taking account of the
sample size.
• Ranges 0 to 1, 0 indicating no
association, 1 indicating
perfect association.
Effect size Phi Coefficient Cohen’s d
• The further phi coefficient is
Small .1 .2 from 0, the stronger the
Medium .3 .5 association between two
Large .5 .8 variables.
• Cramer’s V is similar to phi
coefficient.
 Interpretation

A chi-square test (with Yates’ Continuity Correction)

indicated no significant association between gender
and smoking status, Χ 2 (1, n = 436) = .34, p = .56,
phi = –.03.
 Spearman’s Correlation – Test for Relationship
 Spearman’s correlation coefficient is particularly useful when your data does
not meet the criteria for Pearson correlation.
 It is subject to less stringent assumptions than the parametric Pearson’s
correlation.
 Spearman’s correlation manage to avoid the assumptions of Pearson’s
correlation by ranking all the scores (from data you enter). For example, the
lowest score becomes 1, the second scores becomes two and so on.
 This method ranking means Spearman’s correlation is less prone to influence
of outliers or strange distribution.
 Spearman’s Correlation – Test for Relationship
Example: perceived control of internal state, perceived stress
Research Objective:
To examine the relationship between perceived control of internal state
and perceived stress.
Research Question:
Is there a significant relationship between perceived control of internal
state and perceived stress.
Research Hypothesis:
There is a significant relationship between perceived control of internal
state and perceived stress.
 Spearman’s Correlation using SPSS
1. From the menu at the top of the screen, click on Analyze, then select
Correlate, then Bivariate.
2. Select your two variables and move them into the box marked Variables
(e.g. Total perceived stress: tpstress, Total PCOISS: tpcoiss).
3. In the Correlation Coefficients section, the Pearson box is the default option. If you
wish to request the Spearman rho (the non-parametric alternative), tick this box instead
(or as well).
Significant or
Not Significant?
 Interpretation

The relationship between perceived control of internal states and

perceived stress was investigated using Spearman Correlation
Coefficient. There was a negative statistically significant correlation
between the two variables, r = –.56, n = 426, p < .001, with high
levels of perceived control associated with lower levels of perceived
stress.
 Non-parametric Statistics for Group Differences
1. Mann-Whitney U Test (parametric = independent samples t-test)
2. Kruskal-Wallis Test (parametric = one-way between ANOVA)
 Mann-Whitney U Test (Test of Difference-2
groups)
•To test for differences between two independent groups on a
continuous measure.
•This test is the non-parametric alternative to the t-test for independent
samples.
•Instead of comparing means of the two groups, as in the case of the t-
test, the Mann-Whitney U Test actually compares medians.
•It converts the scores on the continuous variable to ranks (the lowest
becomes 1, the second lowest becomes 2 and so on) and then the ranks
for each group are added up.
 Mann-Whitney U Test
Example: gender (male, female), self-esteem
What you need: Two variables:
• one categorical variable with two groups (e.g. sex)
• one continuous variable (e.g. total self-esteem).
Research Objective:
To examine the difference in level of self-esteem between males and females.
Research Question:
Is there a significant difference in level of self-esteem between males and females.
Research Hypothesis:
There is a significant difference in level of self-esteem between males and females.
 Procedure for Mann-Whitney U Test
1. From the menu at the top of the screen, click on Analyze, select Nonparametric Tests, then Legacy
Dialogs and then 2 Independent Samples.
2. Click on your continuous (dependent) variable (e.g. total self-esteem: tslfest) and move it into the Test
Variable List box.
3. Click on your categorical (independent) variable (e.g. sex) and move it into the Grouping Variable box.

4. Click on the Define Groups button. Type in the value for Group 1 (e.g. 1) and for Group 2 (e.g. 2).
These are the values that were used to code your values for this variable. If you cannot remember which
values are used for each group, right click on the Grouping Variable box and choose Variable Information.
A pop-up box will tell you the values and labels for this variable. After typing in the two values, close the
pop-up box and click on Continue.

5. Make sure that the Mann-Whitney U box is ticked under the section labelled Test Type.

6. Click on Continue and then OK (or on Paste to save to Syntax Editor).

There is no statistically
significant difference in the
self-esteem scores of
males and females.
 If significant …

• You will need to describe the direction of the difference (which group is higher).
• You can see this from the Ranks table under the column Mean Rank. When presenting your results,
however, it would be better to report the median values for each group.
Report median values
Report the median for each group
 Interpretation

A Mann-Whitney U Test revealed no significant difference in

the self-esteem levels of males (Md = 35, n =184) and females
(Md = 34.5, n = 252), U = 21594, z = –1.23, p = .22.
 Kruskal-Wallis Test (Test of Difference- 3 groups or more)

•Non-parametric alternative to a one-way between-groups analysis of

variance.
•To compare the scores on the continuous variable for three or more
groups.
•Similar to Mann-Whitney U Test, but it allows you to compare more
than just two groups.
•This is a “between groups” analysis, so different people must be in each
of the different groups.
Example: age (3 levels), optimism
What you need: Two variables:
• one categorical independent variable with three or more categories (e.g. agegp3: 18–29,
30–44, 45+)
• one continuous dependent variable (e.g. total optimism).

Research Objective:
To examine the difference in optimism levels across three age levels.
Research Question:
Is there a significant difference in optimism levels across three age levels?
Research Hypothesis:
There is a significant difference in optimism levels across three age levels.
Procedure for Kruskal-Wallis Test
 Tell you which of the
groups had the highest
overall ranking.

Thereisisaastatistically
There statistically
significantdifference
significant differenceinin
yourcontinuous
your continuousvariable
variable
acrossthe
across thethree
threegroups
groups
You will also need to obtain the median optimism values for each age group. Follow
the same procedure for obtaining median values as described in the Mann-Whitney
U Test section.
 Interpretation

A Kruskal-Wallis Test revealed a statistically significant difference

in optimism levels across three different age groups (Gp1, n =
147: 18–29yrs, Gp2, n = 153: 30–44yrs, Gp3, n = 135: 45+yrs),
Χ (2, n = 435) = 8.57, p = .014. The older age group (45+ yrs)
2

recorded a higher median score (Md = 23) than the other two age
groups, which both recorded median values of 22.
 Thank you

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