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Archaeology
Session 10. Statistical tests
of significance
© Richard Haddlesey www.medievalarchitecture.net
Aims
To understand what we mean by statistical
significance and archaeological significance
positively skewed
distribution
normal distribution
parametric test
positively skewed
distribution
normal distribution
parametric test
positively skewed
distribution
non-parametric test
Hypothesis testing
Before we can test significance we must
formulate two hypotheses
90%
95%
99%
Confidence interval Probability
90% p=0.10
95%
99%
Confidence interval Probability
90% p=0.10
95% p=0.05
99%
Confidence interval Probability
90% p=0.10
95% p=0.05
99% p=0.01
p<0.05 reject at the 5% level
p<0.05 reject at the 5% level
p<0.10 reject at the 10% level
p<0.05 reject at the 5% level
p<0.10 reject at the 10% level
p<0.01 reject at the 1% level
Chi-squared test
variables:
• material – iron/bronze
• loop – yes/no
Iron 20 0 20
Bronze 9 11 20
29 11 40
Iron 20 0 20
Bronze 9 11 20
29 11 40
expected frequency (E) = (row total)(column total)
(overall total)
No loop Loop
Iron 20 0 20
Bronze 9 11 20
29 11 40
expected frequency (E) = (20)(11) = 5.5
(40)
No loop Loop
Iron 20 0 (5.5) 20
Bronze 9 11 20
29 11 40
No loop Loop
29 11 40
No loop Loop
29 11 40
No loop Loop
29 11 40
29 11 40
d.f. = 1
Critical values of
the χ2 distribution
d.f. = 1
χ2 = 15.18
Cramer’s V statistic
Where:
n = total of all frequencies (40)
m = the smaller of (c-1) and (r-1)
Cramer’s V statistic
V= √15.18/(40)(1)
√0.3795
= 0.62
Summary