Parametric tests for normally distributed continuous data include

Parametric tests for normally distributed continuous data include

• A. t-test or ANOVA
• B. Chi-square test
• C. Spearman correlation
• D. Wilcoxon rank-sum

Answer: (A)

When data are continuous and approximately normally distributed, you use parametric tests that compare means. The two-group situation is addressed by the t-test, which tests whether the means of the two groups differ beyond what would be expected by chance. When there are three or more groups, ANOVA serves the same purpose across multiple groups, testing whether at least one group mean is different from the others. These tests rely on the data following a normal distribution and on consistent variances, and they use the mean as the central measure of location with the spread (variance) shaping the test statistic. Other options fit different kinds of data or approaches. The chi-square test analyzes categorical data in frequency counts, not continuous measurements. Spearman correlation, being rank-based, is a nonparametric measure of association rather than a means comparison. Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) is a nonparametric alternative to the two-sample t-test used when normality cannot be assumed.

When data are continuous and approximately normally distributed, you use parametric tests that compare means. The two-group situation is addressed by the t-test, which tests whether the means of the two groups differ beyond what would be expected by chance. When there are three or more groups, ANOVA serves the same purpose across multiple groups, testing whether at least one group mean is different from the others. These tests rely on the data following a normal distribution and on consistent variances, and they use the mean as the central measure of location with the spread (variance) shaping the test statistic.

Other options fit different kinds of data or approaches. The chi-square test analyzes categorical data in frequency counts, not continuous measurements. Spearman correlation, being rank-based, is a nonparametric measure of association rather than a means comparison. Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) is a nonparametric alternative to the two-sample t-test used when normality cannot be assumed.