*The Sign Test

Question 1

What does the concept of significance refer to in statistical testing?

Answer 1

Determining if a difference in scores is significant or due to chance

Statistical tests are used to evaluate the significance of observed differences.

Question 2

What is the purpose of the sign test?

Answer 2

To determine if a difference is significant

It is particularly used when comparing the effectiveness of two treatments.

Question 3

What type of design is required to use the sign test?

Answer 3

Repeated measures design

This means the same participants are used in both conditions.

Question 4

What type of data is needed for the sign test?

Answer 4

Nominal (categorical) data

Examples include medication effectiveness comparisons.

Question 5

What does probability mean in the context of a study’s findings?

Answer 5

The likelihood that something will happen

It helps assess findings under the null hypothesis.

Question 6

What does the null hypothesis state?

Answer 6

There is no difference/association

It serves as a baseline for testing alternative hypotheses.

Question 7

What is the accepted level of probability in psychology?

Answer 7

0.05

This indicates a 5% chance of mistakenly identifying an effect that does not exist.

Question 8

What happens if a difference is found at the 0.05 level of significance?

Answer 8

The null hypothesis is rejected

This suggests that the findings are statistically significant.

Question 9

What is a stricter level of probability sometimes used in research?

Answer 9

0.01

This level is used when research involves human risk or is unrepeatable.

Question 10

What is the critical value in statistical testing?

Answer 10

A number compared with the calculated value to determine significance

It helps decide if the results are statistically significant.

Question 11

What information is needed to locate the critical value for a sign test?

Answer 11

• Significance level (e.g., 0.05)
• Number of participants (N value)
• Directionality of hypothesis (one-tailed or two-tailed)

This information is necessary to interpret the results correctly.

Question 12

For the sign test, when is the result considered significant?

Answer 12

When the calculated value is equal to or lower than the critical value

This indicates a statistically significant difference.

Question 13

How do you convert data to nominal for the sign test?

Answer 13

Subtract one column from another and record the sign

Positive signs are recorded if the answer is positive, and negative signs if the answer is negative.

Question 14

What does S represent in the sign test?

Answer 14

The less frequent sign after tallying pluses and minuses

It is used to compare against the critical value.

Question 15

In the example provided, what was the critical value when N is 20 at the 0.05 level of significance for a one-tailed test?

Answer 15

5

Since S was 7, the difference was not statistically significant.

Question 16

If S = 2 and the critical value is 0, what does this indicate?

Answer 16

The difference is not significant

S (2) is greater than the critical value (0), indicating no significant difference.

Question 17

What is the relationship between S and the critical value for significance?

Answer 17

S must be less than the critical value for the result to be significant

If S is greater than or equal to the critical value, the difference is not significant.