StatFinder
Which statistical test should you use?
A few questions, no data needed — and it costs no credits. Every step explains itself, so you learn the reasoning as you go.
- 1. Research goal›
- 2. Dependent variable›
- 3. Study design›
- 4. How many groups›
- 5. Independent variables
What kind of question are you asking?
Need help deciding?
Almost every research question is one of these three — and most are worded without any of the textbook terms. Find the row that sounds like yours.
Compare groups or conditions
You want to know whether an outcome DIFFERS — between groups of people, or within the same people over time.
| Is there a difference in hamstring flexibility between the yoga group and the control group? | Does 12 weeks of yoga improve flexibility more than usual activity? [yoga] |
| Is there a difference in burnout between ICU and ward nurses? | Do ICU nurses experience more burnout? [nursing] |
| Is there a difference in exam performance across three teaching methods? | Does teaching method affect exam performance? [education] |
Find a relationship
You want to know whether two things move together, how strongly, and in which direction. You'll see this called an association, a correlation, or a relationship — or with none of those words.
| Is there an association between weekly practice hours and perceived stress? | Do people who practise more report less stress? [yoga] |
| Is there a relationship between shift length and medication errors? | Do longer shifts go with more errors? [nursing] |
| Is there an association between household income and years of schooling? | Do wealthier households stay in education longer? [sociology] |
Predict an outcome
You want to model or predict one outcome from one or more other variables — and know how much they explain.
| Can 30-day readmission be predicted from age, comorbidity and length of stay? | Which patients are most likely to be readmitted? [medical] |
| Can staff turnover be predicted from job satisfaction and workload? | What makes an employee more likely to leave? [management] |
| Can exam performance be predicted from attendance and study hours? | How much do attendance and study explain performance? [education] |
Not sure how to answer these? Describe your study in your own words and let StatMinds read the design, name your variables and explain the choice — that one uses AI credits.