ERIC Number: EJ809430
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1934-6875
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Cautionary Tale about Levene's Tests for Equal Variances
Nordstokke, David W.; Zumbo, Bruno D.
Journal of Educational Research & Policy Studies, v7 n1 p1-14 Spr 2007
The central messages of this paper are that (a) unequal variances may be more prevalent than typically imagined in educational and policy research, and (b) when considering tests of equal variances one needs to be cautious about what is being referred to as "Levene's test" because Levene's test is actually a family of techniques. Depending on which of the Levene tests that are being implemented, and particularly the Levene test based on means which is found in widely used software like SPSS, one may be using a statistical technique that is as bad (if not worse) than the F test which the Levene test was intended to replace. (Contains 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Statistical Analysis, Educational Policy, Educational Research, Computer Software, Research Methodology, Computer Simulation, Error Patterns, Behavioral Science Research, Social Science Research
National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems. University of Arkansas, 346 North West Avenue, 302 WAAX, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Tel: 479-575-5593; Fax: 479-575-5185; e-mail: normes@uark.edu; Web site: http://normes.uark.edu/erps/resources.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A