Statistical Testing: The Sign Test

Statistical Testing: Provides a way of determining whether hypotheses should be accepted or rejected. By using a statistical test we can find out whether differences or relationships between variables are significant or are likely to have occurred by chance.

Sign Test: A statistical test used to analyse the difference in scores between related items. Data should be nominal or better.

Conditions Needed for a Sign Test: Need to be looking for a difference rather than association, repeated measures design and data needs to be organised into categories, known as nominal data.

Probability: Refers to the likelihood that certain events will occur. The accepted level of probability is 0.05 (5%).

Null Hypothesis: States there is no difference/association in the population.

The Critical Value: The number the calculated value is compared with to decide whether the result is significant or not.