5 Statistics You Should Know

Being Smart Reading Statistics

Martha J Lentz

Funding Support: SON Office for Nursing Research

P30 NR04001
 So What are the Stats

Effect size
Plots/Descriptive
Correlations
Tests of Difference
Time ordered
How do I know which one
to use?

What is the question

 Types of Questions

Look for action verb

Describe
Compare
Association among
Count the number of groups
What kind of dependent variable
 So What are the Stats

Effect size
Plots/Descriptive
Correlations
Tests of Difference
Time ordered
 Effect Size

Lets us know was the sample big enough

Mean1 Mean2/ sd

Do try this at home

 Find These Effect Sizes d

Sample 12 women

POMS Anger Scale

mean1=2.25 mean2=1.44 sd=2.84
d=0.28
Bodily Feeling Muscle Pain
mean1=17.17 mean2= 15.0 sd 1.46
d=1.49
Rule of Thumb Effect Sizes

Small = .2
Medium = .5
Large = .8
 Sample Per Group Need for
80% Power

Effect Size .2 .3 .5 .6 .7 .8 1.0 1.40

Sample 393 175 64 45 33 26 19 10
Statistical Significance is not
Clinical Significance
A non statistically significant effect
may be clinically important
 So What are the Stats

Effect size
Plots/Descriptive
Correlations
Tests of Difference
Time ordered
 Plots

Plot your data

Look at plots in papers, do they really
look like what author is claiming.
Scatter Plot HT vs. WT
 Line Plot eNo
Does the child have a diagnosis of asthma?" baseline night
no yes sleep delay night

30.00

25.00

20.00
Mean eNO

15.00

10.00

5.00

usual UB+4 hrs UB+8 usual UB+4 hrs UB+8

bedtime hours bedtime hours
(UB) (UB)
Comparison
Error Bars eNO Clustered by
Group
labprot
35.00
baseline noc
sleep delay noc

30.00
95% CI Average eNO_2

25.00

20.00

15.00

10.00

5.00

no yes
Does the child have a diagnosis of asthma?"
Descriptive

Mean
Median
SD
 Look at sd Compared to
Mean
Sample 12 women

POMS Anger Scale

mean1=2.25 mean2=1.44 sd=2.84
Bodily Feeling Muscle Pain
mean1=17.17 mean2= 15.0 sd 1.46
 So What are the Stats

Effect size
Plots/Descriptive
Correlations
Tests of Difference
Time ordered
 Correlation

Bivariate- between two variables

Regression- several variables to one
outcome variable
Need variability
Scatter Plot HT vs. WT
r=.72 r =.52
2
 Rule of Thumb

Little r < 0.4 is not really meaningful

Square r and look at % variance
explained
<16% not really meaningful
Regression look at change R2 apply
above rule
 So What are the Stats

Effect size
Plots/Descriptive
Correlations
Tests of Difference
Time ordered
 Tests of Difference

How many independent groups

Parametric test- estimate parameter
e.g. a mean
T-test two groups
ANOVA multiple groups
Non-Parametric
Mann-Whitney U two groups
Kruskal-Wallis multiple groups
Parametric or Non-Parametric

Use Parametric when

Have appropriate distribution required
to estimate a parameter such as
mean
Use Non-Parametric when
Have a funky distribution
Need to do calculation by hand
 Good Distribution
Use Parametric
Total score: Attitude Toward Women Scale

80

60
Frequency

40

20

Mean =120.63
Std. Dev. =17.189
N =652
0
50.00 75.00 100.00 125.00 150.00
Total score: Attitude Toward Women Scale
 Not So Good Use
Non-Parametric
Histogram

4
Frequency

Mean =115.83
Std. Dev. =8.211
N =12
0
100.00 110.00 120.00 130.00 140.00
total bodily feel score noc 5
Another Reason to Plot Your
Data
 So What are the Stats

Effect size
Plots/Descriptive
Correlations
Tests of Difference
Time ordered
 Time Ordered Data

It is correlated
It violates all assumption of
independence of most stats
It is very hard to get dont waste it
 Time Ordered Data
Types of Tests
Paired T-Test 2 points in time
Repeated Measure ANOVA multiple
points in time
More then 4 need special time series
tests
 Time Ordered Data Abuse

It is flat out wrong to treat each time

point as a separate subject and use
in a conventional statistical test

Look at sample N if few in number and

df or n listed for test is a lot it is wrong
Have Fun Reading Statistics