What is the primary concern of a chi-square test?

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Prepare for UCF's PSY3204C Statistical Methods in Psychology Quiz 3. Use interactive tools and engaging quizzes to solidify your understanding of statistics in psychology, and enhance your chances of success.

The primary concern of a chi-square test is counting occurrences in categories. This statistical test is specifically designed to examine the association between categorical variables. It evaluates how observed frequencies in each category compare to the frequencies that would be expected if there were no association between the variables.

In a chi-square test, the data is arranged in a contingency table, where the counts of occurrences for different categories are analyzed. The test calculates the chi-square statistic based on the difference between observed and expected counts, allowing researchers to determine whether any significant relationships exist between the variables being studied.

This focus on categorical data sets the chi-square test apart from other statistical methods that might involve calculating means, measuring spread, or assessing relationships between continuous variables.