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BIOSTATISTICS laboratory NOTES





PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Questionnaire

  1. The one-sample t-test assumes that the data are normally distributed.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: A one-sample t-test is parametric and assumes normality.

  2. Welch's t-test is a parametric test used when the variances of two groups are unequal.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Welch’s t-test does not assume equal variances, unlike the independent t-test.

  3. The Mann-Whitney U test is appropriate for ordinal data.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: The Mann-Whitney U test is non-parametric and works with ordinal or continuous data.

  4. A normality test evaluates whether data follow a normal distribution.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Normality tests (e.g., Shapiro-Wilk, Kolmogorov-Smirnov) assess the normality assumption.

  5. Levene's test is used to test the equality of variances between two or more groups.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Levene’s test checks homogeneity of variances, which is a key assumption for parametric tests.

  6. Homogeneity of variances means all groups have the same mean.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: Homogeneity refers to variances, not means.

  7. The two-sample t-test assumes that the samples are independent of each other.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Independence is a core assumption of the two-sample t-test.

  8. ANOVA can only be used when there are exactly two groups.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: ANOVA is used when comparing the means of three or more groups.

  9. The F-test in ANOVA compares the variability between group means to variability within groups.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: This is the essence of the F-test in one-way ANOVA.

  10. One-way ANOVA assumes that the dependent variable is ordinal.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: One-way ANOVA is parametric and assumes the dependent variable is continuous.

  1. The Kruskal-Wallis test is the non-parametric equivalent of one-way ANOVA.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Kruskal-Wallis is used for ordinal or non-normal continuous data.

  1. The DSCF post-hoc test is used after Kruskal-Wallis to identify which groups differ.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: The Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner test is a post-hoc test for Kruskal-Wallis.

  1. Pearson’s rr measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is parametric and assumes linearity and normality.

  1. Spearman’s ρ\rho is a non-parametric test that evaluates monotonic relationships.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Spearman’s ρ\rho is used when data are ordinal or not normally distributed.

  1. The chi-square test is used for testing relationships between two categorical variables.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: The chi-square test is non-parametric and evaluates categorical data.

  1. ANOVA assumes homogeneity of variances.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Homogeneity is a key assumption for one-way ANOVA.

  1. The Mann-Whitney U test requires normal distribution of data.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: The Mann-Whitney U test is non-parametric and does not require normality.

  1. Welch’s t-test is more robust than a standard t-test when variances are unequal.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Welch’s t-test is designed for unequal variances.

  1. A normality test is unnecessary for non-parametric tests like the Kruskal-Wallis test.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Non-parametric tests do not rely on normality assumptions.

  1. Pearson’s rr can be used with ordinal data.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is parametric and assumes continuous, interval data.

  1. The Kruskal-Wallis test assumes that the data are independent within groups.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Independence is a common assumption even for non-parametric tests.

  1. Levene’s test is non-parametric.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: Levene’s test is a parametric test for equality of variances.

  1. Spearman’s ρ\rho is suitable for non-linear relationships.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Spearman’s ρ\rho evaluates monotonic (not necessarily linear) relationships.

  1. Welch’s t-test can be used for paired samples.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: Welch’s t-test is designed for independent samples.

  1. Homogeneity of variances is tested before performing a t-test or ANOVA.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Homogeneity is an assumption for these tests.

  1. The chi-square test assumes that expected frequencies in each cell are at least 5.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: This is a common assumption of the chi-square test.

  1. Kruskal-Wallis is more powerful than ANOVA when data are normally distributed.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: ANOVA is more powerful for normal data, while Kruskal-Wallis is better for non-normal data.

  1. Pearson’s rr assumes that both variables are normally distributed.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is parametric and assumes normality

    .

  1. F-tests can be used to compare variances of more than two groups.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: The F-test in ANOVA compares variances across multiple groups.

  1. The Mann-Whitney U test is equivalent to the t-test for medians.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: While not strictly comparing medians, Mann-Whitney is often viewed as a median test in practice.


Situational Questions

  1. You are testing whether the mean weight of a specific species of fish in a lake differs from 3 kg. You should use a one-sample t-test if the weights are normally distributed.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: The one-sample t-test is used to compare the sample mean to a known value under the assumption of normality.

  2. A researcher wants to compare the effectiveness of two fertilizers on crop yield. The variances of the yield data are unequal, so the appropriate test is Welch's t-test.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Welch’s t-test is suitable for comparing two groups with unequal variances.

  3. You are analyzing customer satisfaction rankings (ordinal data) from two different stores. The Mann-Whitney U test is the correct choice.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Mann-Whitney U is non-parametric and ideal for ordinal data.

  4. A team wants to compare test scores across three schools. They assume normal distribution and homogeneity of variances. One-way ANOVA is an appropriate test for this situation.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: One-way ANOVA is parametric and compares the means of three or more groups under these assumptions.

  5. You need to determine if students’ test scores improve after attending a review session. A two-sample t-test is the correct approach.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: A paired t-test is appropriate because the data are dependent (before-and-after measurements for the same students).

  6. A biologist compares the levels of dissolved oxygen across four different lakes. The data are skewed, so the appropriate test is the Kruskal-Wallis test.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Kruskal-Wallis is non-parametric and suitable for non-normal data when comparing multiple groups.

  7. You are testing if males and females have different preferences for a type of product, based on a categorical survey (e.g., yes/no). A chi-square test is appropriate for this analysis.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: The chi-square test is used for categorical data to test relationships or differences.

  8. A researcher is evaluating the correlation between age and blood pressure, assuming the data are normally distributed. Spearman’s rho is the correct choice.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is used for normally distributed data. Spearman’s rho is non-parametric and used for ordinal or non-linear data.

  9. You want to test if two groups of students perform equally on an exam, but their scores show a significant difference in variances. Levene's test should be performed before deciding on a t-test.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Levene’s test checks for equality of variances, which helps determine whether to use a standard t-test or Welch’s t-test.

  10. An organization wants to test if four training programs produce the same improvement in productivity. Data are normally distributed, and variances are equal. The F-test in ANOVA is appropriate.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: One-way ANOVA (using the F-test) is used for comparing the means of four groups under these assumptions.


Test Parametric/Non-Parametric Measurement Type Type of Relationship Assumptions Null and Alternative Hypotheses

One-Sample t-Test

Parametric

Continuous

N/A

- Data are normally distributed. - Random sampling. - Continuous, interval/ratio scale data.

H0:μ=μ0

Ha:μ≠μ0

Welch's t-Test

Parametric

Continuous

Difference in means

- Data are normally distributed. - Groups are independent. - Does not assume equal variances.

H0:μ1=μ2

Ha:μ1≠μ2

Mann-Whitney U Test

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Difference in ranks

- Data are independent. - Data can be ordinal or non-normal continuous.

H0:Distributions are identical

Ha:Distributions differ

Normality Test

Parametric (checks normality)

Continuous

N/A

- Tests the normality assumption for parametric tests (e.g., Shapiro-Wilk or Kolmogorov-Smirnov).

H0:Data are normally distributed

Ha:Data are not normally distributed

Levene's Test

Parametric

Continuous

Equality of variances

- Data should be continuous. - Assesses equality of variances.

H0:σ1=σ2…σ

Ha:σ1≠σ2..

Homogeneity Test

Parametric

Continuous

Equality of variances

- Assumes independence. - Variance between groups must be tested (e.g., Levene’s test).

Same as Levene’s Test

Two-Sample t-Test

Parametric

Continuous

Difference in means

- Data are normally distributed. - Variances are equal. - Groups are independent.

H0:μ1=μ2

Ha:μ1≠μ2

ANOVA (One-Way)

Parametric

Continuous

Differences across group means

- Data are normally distributed. - Homogeneity of variances. - Groups are independent.

H0:μ1=μ2=μ3…μk Ha:At least one group mean differs

F-Test

Parametric

Continuous

Equality of variances or means

- Tests for equality of variances or used in ANOVA to compare means.

H0:σ12=σ22

Ha:σ12≠σ22

Kruskal-Wallis Test

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Differences across distributions

- Data are independent. - Does not require normality. - Suitable for ordinal or skewed data.

H0:Distributions are identical across groups

Ha:At least one distribution differs

DSCF Test (Post-Hoc)

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Pairwise group differences

- Follows a significant Kruskal-Wallis test. - Compares all pairwise group differences.

Pairwise hypotheses: H0:Distribution in Group A = Group B

Pearson's r

Parametric

Continuous

Linear relationship

- Data are continuous. - Linear relationship between variables. - Both variables are normally distributed.

H0:ρ=0

Ha:ρ≠0

Spearman's rho

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Monotonic relationship

- Data are independent. - Measures monotonic relationships (not necessarily linear).

H0:ρ=0

Ha:ρ≠0

Chi-Square Test

Non-Parametric

Nominal

Association between categorical variables

- Data are categorical. - Expected frequencies should generally be at least 5 in each category.

H0:Variables are independent

Ha:Variables are dependent

KF

BIOSTATISTICS laboratory NOTES





PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Questionnaire

  1. The one-sample t-test assumes that the data are normally distributed.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: A one-sample t-test is parametric and assumes normality.

  2. Welch's t-test is a parametric test used when the variances of two groups are unequal.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Welch’s t-test does not assume equal variances, unlike the independent t-test.

  3. The Mann-Whitney U test is appropriate for ordinal data.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: The Mann-Whitney U test is non-parametric and works with ordinal or continuous data.

  4. A normality test evaluates whether data follow a normal distribution.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Normality tests (e.g., Shapiro-Wilk, Kolmogorov-Smirnov) assess the normality assumption.

  5. Levene's test is used to test the equality of variances between two or more groups.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Levene’s test checks homogeneity of variances, which is a key assumption for parametric tests.

  6. Homogeneity of variances means all groups have the same mean.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: Homogeneity refers to variances, not means.

  7. The two-sample t-test assumes that the samples are independent of each other.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Independence is a core assumption of the two-sample t-test.

  8. ANOVA can only be used when there are exactly two groups.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: ANOVA is used when comparing the means of three or more groups.

  9. The F-test in ANOVA compares the variability between group means to variability within groups.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: This is the essence of the F-test in one-way ANOVA.

  10. One-way ANOVA assumes that the dependent variable is ordinal.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: One-way ANOVA is parametric and assumes the dependent variable is continuous.

  1. The Kruskal-Wallis test is the non-parametric equivalent of one-way ANOVA.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Kruskal-Wallis is used for ordinal or non-normal continuous data.

  1. The DSCF post-hoc test is used after Kruskal-Wallis to identify which groups differ.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: The Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner test is a post-hoc test for Kruskal-Wallis.

  1. Pearson’s rr measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is parametric and assumes linearity and normality.

  1. Spearman’s ρ\rho is a non-parametric test that evaluates monotonic relationships.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Spearman’s ρ\rho is used when data are ordinal or not normally distributed.

  1. The chi-square test is used for testing relationships between two categorical variables.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: The chi-square test is non-parametric and evaluates categorical data.

  1. ANOVA assumes homogeneity of variances.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Homogeneity is a key assumption for one-way ANOVA.

  1. The Mann-Whitney U test requires normal distribution of data.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: The Mann-Whitney U test is non-parametric and does not require normality.

  1. Welch’s t-test is more robust than a standard t-test when variances are unequal.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Welch’s t-test is designed for unequal variances.

  1. A normality test is unnecessary for non-parametric tests like the Kruskal-Wallis test.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Non-parametric tests do not rely on normality assumptions.

  1. Pearson’s rr can be used with ordinal data.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is parametric and assumes continuous, interval data.

  1. The Kruskal-Wallis test assumes that the data are independent within groups.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Independence is a common assumption even for non-parametric tests.

  1. Levene’s test is non-parametric.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: Levene’s test is a parametric test for equality of variances.

  1. Spearman’s ρ\rho is suitable for non-linear relationships.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Spearman’s ρ\rho evaluates monotonic (not necessarily linear) relationships.

  1. Welch’s t-test can be used for paired samples.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: Welch’s t-test is designed for independent samples.

  1. Homogeneity of variances is tested before performing a t-test or ANOVA.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Homogeneity is an assumption for these tests.

  1. The chi-square test assumes that expected frequencies in each cell are at least 5.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: This is a common assumption of the chi-square test.

  1. Kruskal-Wallis is more powerful than ANOVA when data are normally distributed.

  • Answer: False

  • Explanation: ANOVA is more powerful for normal data, while Kruskal-Wallis is better for non-normal data.

  1. Pearson’s rr assumes that both variables are normally distributed.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is parametric and assumes normality

    .

  1. F-tests can be used to compare variances of more than two groups.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: The F-test in ANOVA compares variances across multiple groups.

  1. The Mann-Whitney U test is equivalent to the t-test for medians.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: While not strictly comparing medians, Mann-Whitney is often viewed as a median test in practice.


Situational Questions

  1. You are testing whether the mean weight of a specific species of fish in a lake differs from 3 kg. You should use a one-sample t-test if the weights are normally distributed.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: The one-sample t-test is used to compare the sample mean to a known value under the assumption of normality.

  2. A researcher wants to compare the effectiveness of two fertilizers on crop yield. The variances of the yield data are unequal, so the appropriate test is Welch's t-test.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Welch’s t-test is suitable for comparing two groups with unequal variances.

  3. You are analyzing customer satisfaction rankings (ordinal data) from two different stores. The Mann-Whitney U test is the correct choice.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Mann-Whitney U is non-parametric and ideal for ordinal data.

  4. A team wants to compare test scores across three schools. They assume normal distribution and homogeneity of variances. One-way ANOVA is an appropriate test for this situation.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: One-way ANOVA is parametric and compares the means of three or more groups under these assumptions.

  5. You need to determine if students’ test scores improve after attending a review session. A two-sample t-test is the correct approach.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: A paired t-test is appropriate because the data are dependent (before-and-after measurements for the same students).

  6. A biologist compares the levels of dissolved oxygen across four different lakes. The data are skewed, so the appropriate test is the Kruskal-Wallis test.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Kruskal-Wallis is non-parametric and suitable for non-normal data when comparing multiple groups.

  7. You are testing if males and females have different preferences for a type of product, based on a categorical survey (e.g., yes/no). A chi-square test is appropriate for this analysis.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: The chi-square test is used for categorical data to test relationships or differences.

  8. A researcher is evaluating the correlation between age and blood pressure, assuming the data are normally distributed. Spearman’s rho is the correct choice.

    • Answer: False

    • Explanation: Pearson’s rr is used for normally distributed data. Spearman’s rho is non-parametric and used for ordinal or non-linear data.

  9. You want to test if two groups of students perform equally on an exam, but their scores show a significant difference in variances. Levene's test should be performed before deciding on a t-test.

    • Answer: True

    • Explanation: Levene’s test checks for equality of variances, which helps determine whether to use a standard t-test or Welch’s t-test.

  10. An organization wants to test if four training programs produce the same improvement in productivity. Data are normally distributed, and variances are equal. The F-test in ANOVA is appropriate.

  • Answer: True

  • Explanation: One-way ANOVA (using the F-test) is used for comparing the means of four groups under these assumptions.


Test Parametric/Non-Parametric Measurement Type Type of Relationship Assumptions Null and Alternative Hypotheses

One-Sample t-Test

Parametric

Continuous

N/A

- Data are normally distributed. - Random sampling. - Continuous, interval/ratio scale data.

H0:μ=μ0

Ha:μ≠μ0

Welch's t-Test

Parametric

Continuous

Difference in means

- Data are normally distributed. - Groups are independent. - Does not assume equal variances.

H0:μ1=μ2

Ha:μ1≠μ2

Mann-Whitney U Test

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Difference in ranks

- Data are independent. - Data can be ordinal or non-normal continuous.

H0:Distributions are identical

Ha:Distributions differ

Normality Test

Parametric (checks normality)

Continuous

N/A

- Tests the normality assumption for parametric tests (e.g., Shapiro-Wilk or Kolmogorov-Smirnov).

H0:Data are normally distributed

Ha:Data are not normally distributed

Levene's Test

Parametric

Continuous

Equality of variances

- Data should be continuous. - Assesses equality of variances.

H0:σ1=σ2…σ

Ha:σ1≠σ2..

Homogeneity Test

Parametric

Continuous

Equality of variances

- Assumes independence. - Variance between groups must be tested (e.g., Levene’s test).

Same as Levene’s Test

Two-Sample t-Test

Parametric

Continuous

Difference in means

- Data are normally distributed. - Variances are equal. - Groups are independent.

H0:μ1=μ2

Ha:μ1≠μ2

ANOVA (One-Way)

Parametric

Continuous

Differences across group means

- Data are normally distributed. - Homogeneity of variances. - Groups are independent.

H0:μ1=μ2=μ3…μk Ha:At least one group mean differs

F-Test

Parametric

Continuous

Equality of variances or means

- Tests for equality of variances or used in ANOVA to compare means.

H0:σ12=σ22

Ha:σ12≠σ22

Kruskal-Wallis Test

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Differences across distributions

- Data are independent. - Does not require normality. - Suitable for ordinal or skewed data.

H0:Distributions are identical across groups

Ha:At least one distribution differs

DSCF Test (Post-Hoc)

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Pairwise group differences

- Follows a significant Kruskal-Wallis test. - Compares all pairwise group differences.

Pairwise hypotheses: H0:Distribution in Group A = Group B

Pearson's r

Parametric

Continuous

Linear relationship

- Data are continuous. - Linear relationship between variables. - Both variables are normally distributed.

H0:ρ=0

Ha:ρ≠0

Spearman's rho

Non-Parametric

Ordinal or Continuous

Monotonic relationship

- Data are independent. - Measures monotonic relationships (not necessarily linear).

H0:ρ=0

Ha:ρ≠0

Chi-Square Test

Non-Parametric

Nominal

Association between categorical variables

- Data are categorical. - Expected frequencies should generally be at least 5 in each category.

H0:Variables are independent

Ha:Variables are dependent

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