In article <8h3pfa$hnh$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Karen Warner Barlow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>I would like to compare the ranks given to three pictures.
>Each person will look at each of the pictures and give a rank of 1 to
>their favorite, 3 to their least favorite, and 2 to the remaining picture.
>I would like to compare the overall ranks given to the pictures. That is,
>I would like to be able to say "Picture 1 was ranked higher than Picture
>2 but there was no difference between Picture 1 and Picture 3."
>What statistical test would be appropriate for this data?
Do you know what a statistical test does? There is NO way
that I would be willing to state that "there was no difference
between Picture 1 and Picture 3". It MIGHT just be the case
that these are the same picture, but otherwise, they are
different, and the assumption of no difference is untenable.
That the difference is practically insignificant may hold,
but that is not the same as statistically insignificant.
As for "being ranked higher", you should define what that
means, and see if it is the case in the data. The question
is not a statistical one.
If you want something using statistics, state your probability
model up front, what actions you are considering, and what
are the consequences of a wrong action. If you have enough
data, you might be able to come up with a conclusion without
working too hard, but often you will need to use Bayesian
ideas to decide what action to take.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
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