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On the relative power of the U and t tests
Author(s) -
Blair R. Clifford,
Higgins J. J.,
Smitley William D. S.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
british journal of mathematical and statistical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.157
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 2044-8317
pISSN - 0007-1102
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8317.1980.tb00783.x
Subject(s) - statistic , mann–whitney u test , statistics , mathematics , test (biology) , power (physics) , population , test statistic , econometrics , demography , statistical hypothesis testing , sociology , physics , biology , paleontology , quantum mechanics
Boneau (1962) concluded that there is little difference between the power of the Mann–Whitney U test and the t test when samples are drawn from non‐normal populations. He further concluded that, in the long run, the t statistic does hold a slight power advantage over the Mann–Whitney statistic in the non‐normal population situation. These conclusions are not supported by the asymptotic results obtained by Hodges & Lehmann (1956). In this study, computer simulation techniques were used to re‐examine a portion of Boneau's work. As a result of this re‐examination, it was demonstrated that Boneau erred in his conclusions and that the Mann–Whitney test may indeed show large power advantages over the t test.