Performing a chi-square independence test using a TI-84 calculator streamlines the process of determining whether two categorical variables are related. This test evaluates if the distribution of one variable is independent of the other by comparing observed frequencies to expected frequencies under the assumption of independence. The null hypothesis (H0) states that the variables are independent, meaning the group a participant belongs to does not affect symptom improvement. Conversely, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) posits that the variables are dependent, indicating a relationship between group membership and symptom improvement.
To conduct the test on a TI-84, data must first be entered as a matrix. Access the matrix menu by pressing the 2nd button followed by the x-1 button, then navigate to the Edit tab to input the observed frequency data into Matrix A. Each cell in the matrix should correspond exactly to the observed counts in the contingency table. After entering the data, initiate the chi-square test by pressing the STAT button, moving to the TESTS menu, and selecting the chi-square test option (usually option C). Ensure that the observed matrix is set to Matrix A and designate a different matrix, such as Matrix B, to store the expected frequencies calculated by the calculator using the formula for expected counts:
\[E_{ij} = \frac{(R_i)(C_j)}{N}\]
where \(E_{ij}\) is the expected frequency for cell in row \(i\) and column \(j\), \(R_i\) is the total count for row \(i\), \(C_j\) is the total count for column \(j\), and \(N\) is the overall sample size.
After setting these matrices, select Calculate to obtain the test statistic and p-value. A p-value less than the significance level \(\alpha = 0.05\) indicates sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis, concluding that the variables are dependent. For example, a p-value of approximately \(1.7 \times 10^{-7}\) strongly suggests dependence between participant group and symptom improvement.
It is important to note that homogeneity tests share the same computational steps as independence tests on the TI-84, differing only in the wording of hypotheses and conclusions. Both tests rely on the chi-square distribution to assess relationships between categorical variables, making the TI-84 an efficient tool for these analyses once data is properly formatted as matrices.
