Anova
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is an analysis tool used in statistics that splits an observed
aggregate variability found inside a data set into two parts: systematic factors and random
factors. The systematic factors have a statistical influence on the given data set, while the
random factors do not. Analysts use the ANOVA test to determine the influence that
independent variables have on the dependent variable in a regression study.
There are different types of ANOVA, that is, one-way ANOVA and two-way ANOVA, which
differ in terms of the number of factors or independent variables involved.
1. One-way ANOVA: A one-way ANOVA evaluates the impact of a sole factor on a sole
response variable. It determines whether all the samples are the same. The one-way
ANOVA is used to determine whether there are any statistically significant differences
between the means of three or more independent (unrelated) groups.
• Formula: The basic formula for one-way ANOVA involves calculating the
variance between group means and within each group.
F= MS Between/ MS Within
The mean square between groups (MS Between) is a measure of the variance
among the group means, while the mean square within groups (MS Within) is a
measure of the average variance within each group.
The formulas for MS Between and Within MS Within are as follows:
MS Between= SS Between/ df Between
MS Within= SS Between/ df Within
• SS Between is the sum of squares between groups.
• SS Within is the sum of squares within groups.
• Df Between is the degrees of freedom between groups.
• Df Within is the degrees of freedom within groups.
The degrees of freedom are calculated as follows:
Df Between = k – 1
Df Within = N – k
Where:
• k is the number of groups.
• N is the total number of observations.
After calculating F, you compare it to a critical value from an F-distribution with
df Between and df Within degrees of freedom to determine whether the differences
among group means are statistically significant.
If the p-value associated with the F-statistic is below a pre-determined
significance level (commonly 0.05), you would reject the null hypothesis,
indicating that there are significant differences among the group means.
Null Hypothesis: The null hypothesis for one-way ANOVA is that there is no
significant difference between the means of the groups.
2. Two-way ANOVA: Two-way ANOVA is an extension of one-way ANOVA and is
used when there are two independent variables (factors) and you want to examine the
effects of each variable on the dependent variable, as well as any interaction effects
between the variables.
• Here's the basic formula for the F-statistic in a two-way ANOVA:
F = MS Factor A/ MS Within
F = MS Factor B/ MS Within
F = MS Interaction/ MS Within
The terms in the formula represent the following:
• MS Factor A: Mean square for Factor A (Variance explained by the variation
in levels of Factor A).
• MS Factor B: Mean square for Factor B (Variance explained by the variation
in levels of Factor B).
• MS Interaction: Mean square for the interaction between Factor A and Factor
B (Variance explained by the interaction between Factor A and Factor B).
• MS Within: Mean square within groups (Average variance within each
combination of levels of Factor A and Factor B).
The degrees of freedom for each mean square are determined by the number of levels of
the corresponding factor and the overall sample size. The degrees of freedom are used to
calculate the p-value associated with the F-statistic.
The null hypothesis for each factor and interaction is that there is no significant effect. If
the p-value is below a pre-determined significance level (commonly 0.05), you would
reject the null hypothesis, indicating that there are significant effects or interactions.
• Null Hypothesis: The null hypothesis for two-way ANOVA is that there is no
significant main effect of either factor A or factor B, and there is no significant
interaction effect between the two factors.
The type of ANOVA test used depends on a number of factors. It is applied when data needs
to be experimental. Analysis of variance is employed if there is no access to statistical
software resulting in computing ANOVA by hand. It is simple to use and best suited for small
samples. With many experimental designs, the sample sizes have to be the same for the
various factor level combinations.
ANOVA is helpful for testing three or more variables. It is similar to multiple two-sample t-
tests. However, it results in fewer type I errors and is appropriate for a range of issues.
ANOVA groups differences by comparing the means of each group and includes spreading
out the variance into diverse sources. It is employed with subjects, test groups, between
groups and within groups.
