Chapter 8 terms political research

chi-squared test for tabular association

a statistical test for a relationship between two categorical variables

correlation coefficient

a measure of linear association between two continuous variables

covariance

an unstandardized statistical measure summarizing the general pattern of association (or the lack thereof) between two continuous variables

critical value

a predetermined standard for a statistical test such that, if the calculated value is greater than the critical value, then we conclude that there is a relationship between the two variables; and if the calculated value is less than the critical value, we cannot make such a conclusion

degrees of freedom

the number of pieces of information we have beyond the minimum that we would need to make a particular inference

difference of means test

a method of bivariate hypothesis testing that is appropriate for a categorical independent variable and a continuous dependent variable

Pearson’s r

the most commonly employed correlation coefficient

p-value

the probability that we would see the relationship that we are finding because of random chance

• statistically significant relationship

a conclusion, based on the observed data, that the relationship between two variables is not due to random chance, and therefore exists in the broader population

tabular analysis

a type of bivariate analysis that is appropriate for two categorical variables