Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

Overview
What is ANOVA? When is it useful? How does it work? Some Examples Limitations Conclusions
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Definitions

Remember: RA Fischer, 1919Evolutionary Biology

ANOVA: analysis of variation in an experimental outcome and especially of a statistical variance in order to determine the contributions of given factors or variables to the variance.

Remember: Variance: the square of the standard deviation

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Assumptions
Normal distribution

Variances of dependent variable are equal in all populations Random samples; independent scores
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For instance, ANOVA Could be Used to:

Compare birth weights of deer in different geographical regions Compare responses of patients to real medication vs. placebo Compare attention spans of undergraduate students in different programs at PC.

Remember that
Standard deviation (s)
n

s = [( (xi X)2)/(n-1)]
i=1

In this case: Degrees of freedom (df)

df = Number of observations or groups - 1
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Notation
k = # of groups n = # observations in each group xij = one observation in group i Y = mean over all groups

Yi = mean for group i

SS = Sum of Squares MS = Mean of Squares = Between MS/Within MS

FYI this is how SS Values are calculated

k ni

Total SS = (xij )2
i=1 j=1 k ni

SStot

Within SS = (xij
i=1 j=1 k ni

)2 = SSw i

Between SS = (
i=1 j=1

)2 = SSbet
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and
SStot = SSw + SSbet

Example
Bat cave gates:
Group 1 = No gate (NG) Group 2 = Straight entrance gate (SE) Group 3 = Angled entrance gate (AE) Group 4 = Straight dark zone gate (SD) Group 5 = Angled dark zone gate (AD)

Question: Is variation in bat flight speed greater within or between groups? Or Ho = no difference significant difference in means.
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Just leave me alone Go back

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Example
Group #, i 1 2 3 4 5 Gate Type NG SE AE SD AD 5.6 3.8 4.7 4.2 5.1

(contd)
sd FS (m/s) 0.93 1.05 0.97 1.23 1.03 ni 150 150 150 137 143
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Hypothetical data for bat flight speed with various gate arrangements.
Mean FS (m/s)

FS= Flight speed; sd = standard deviation

Example
Between SS =

SSbet

300

Group #, i

Gate Type

Mean FS (m/s)

sd FS (m/s)

ni

1 2 3 4 5

NG SE AE SD AD

5.6 3.8 4.7 4.2 5.1

0.93 1.05 0.97 1.23 1.03

150 150 150 137 143

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Example 2 SSw
Within SS = 790

Group #, i

Gate Type

Mean FS (m/s)

sd FS (m/s)

ni

1 2 3 4 5

NG SE AE SD AD

5.6 3.8 4.7 4.2 5.1

0.93 1.05 0.97 1.23 1.03

150 150 150 137 143

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Example

(contd)

Between MS = 300/4 = 75 Within MS = 790/(730-5) = 1.09 F Ratio = 75/1.09 = 68.8

See Table find p-value based on df= 4, Since F>value found on the table we 15 reject Ho.

What ANOVA Cannot Do

Tell which groups are different
Post-hoc test of mean differences required

Compare multiple parameters for multiple groups (so it cannot be used for multiple response variables)
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Summary
ANOVA:
allows us to know if variability in a data set is between groups or merely within groups is more versatile than t-test can compare multiple groups at once cannot process multiple response variables does not indicate which groups are different
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