Contrast Analysis: Focused Comparisons in the Analysis of Variance

This is the first text for those seeking appropriate statistical approaches to research data that is devoted entirely to the topic of contrasts. Contrast analysis permits us to ask more focused questions of our data. In return for a small amount of simple computation, we get very much greater statistical power, and can make very much clearer substantive interpretations of our research results. Contrast analysis should be employed in the context of the analysis of variance whenever the numerator degrees of freedom are greater than one (which is probably most of the time). Unfortunately, it is employed relatively rarely by behavioural and social scientists. This book makes it possible for non-mathematical data analysts to avail themselves of contrasts, and thereby simply and efficiently to address the focused questions posed by their theories, hypotheses, and hunches.