The chief aim of ANOVA is to make a decision about whether there is sufficient evidence to draw inferences about

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Here is a careful evaluation of each option in the context of the chief aim of ANOVA.
Option 1: 'whether the means of two samples are unequal.' This describes a comparison between two samples, which is typically tested with a t-test rather than ANOVA. ANOVA generalizes the idea to more than two groups, so focusing only on two samples does not capture the full scope of ANOVA's aim.
Option 2: 'whether the means of two or more samples are unequal.' This aligns with the fundamental purpose of ANOVA: to assess whether there are any statistically significant differences among the means across multiple groups. It encompasses both two-group and multi-group scenarios, matching the method’s broader goal.
Option 3: 'whether the means of two groups are unequal at population level.' While this statement refers to population means and acknowledges two groups, it limits the scope to two groups and thus does not reflect ANOVA's primary purpose, which is to test across more than two groups when appropriate.
Option 4: 'whether the means or two or more groups are unequal at population level.' This option echoes the population-level focus and includes two or more groups, but the wording is awkward ("means or two or more groups") and introduces potential ambiguity. The intended and clearer description is the broader two-or-more-group comparison across populations, which is captured more directly in Option 2.
Overall, Option 2 provides the most accurate and comprehensive statement of ANOVA’s chief aim by explicitly allowing for two or more samples and emphasizing the comparison of their means across groups.

PSYC20007_2025_SM2 ANOVA, I

The chief aim of ANOVA is to make a decision about whether there is sufficient evidence to draw inferences about

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Which of the following is the best description of the null hypothesis in this experiment?

The analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests hypotheses about the population variance.

You report your ANOVA and conclude that there is a statistically significant difference between the three eye-colour groups, F (2, 500) = 7.72, p = .007. Which of the following statements is true?

In ANOVA the different groups are called

If there's no difference between group means at population level, you'd expect the F-statistic in your sample to be about

The bigger the difference between your experimental groups, the larger you'd expect what to be (in an ANOVA)?

More Practical Tools for International Students

Exam Browser Assistant

Stylized Writing Assistant

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation Assistant

In-Class Translation Assistant

Class Notes Assistant

Quiz Search Assistant

Past Exam Questions by School

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler