Question

If you wanted to compare balance measures in older adults who do and do not have a history of falling, which statistical test would be most appropriate to use?

a. Square dependent (paired) t-test
b. Independent (unpaired) t-test
c. One-way analysis of variance
d. Pearson product moment coefficient

Answer 1

The most appropriate statistical test to compare balance measures in older adults who do and do not have a history of falling is the Independent (unpaired) t-test. This test compares the means of two independent groups and can determine if there is a significant difference between the two groups.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most appropriate statistical test to compare balance measures in older adults who do and do not have a history of falling is the Independent (unpaired) t-test. This test compares the means of two independent groups and can determine if there is a significant difference between the two groups. In this case, the two groups would be older adults with a history of falling and those without a history of falling.

Here are the steps for conducting an independent t-test:

1. Collect data on balance measures from older adults with and without a history of falling.
2. Calculate the mean balance measure for each group.
3. Calculate the standard deviation for each group.
4. Determine whether the assumption of equal variances holds. If it does not, you can use the Aspin-Welch t-test.
5. Calculate the t statistic by dividing the difference in means by the standard error of the difference.
6. Compare the t statistic to the critical value from the t-distribution with the appropriate degrees of freedom.
7. If the t statistic is greater than the critical value, you can conclude that there is a significant difference in balance measures between the two groups.