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statistics/econometrics help???

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  • 27-10-2011 6:28pm
    #1
    lolliemc
    Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭


    when answering a question in econometrics where you are testing hypotheses how do u know which probability distribution to use i.e normal, t-test, f-test, chi-squared???


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    #2
    SBWife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,287 ✭✭✭SBWife


    It will depend on the nature of the sample, the sample size and what kind of hypothesis you are testing.


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    #3
    andrew
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,370 Mod ✭✭✭✭andrew


    As the above poster said, it depends on the sample you're looking at. If you know it follows the normal distribution, and you know the population mean, you use the z test. If it follow the t-distribution (which means you're using the sample mean as an estimate of the population mean) then it follows the t-distribution and you use a t-test (with n-1) degrees of freedom. They're the ones you'll use the most. The F-test is for checking a regression, to see if at least one of the coefficients are non-zero. And I can't remember what a chi-square test is for (I'm doing this from a hazy memory of econometrics.)

    Basically, each hypothesis will specify a different test and that test will specify the distribution. Go with that.


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    #4
    Duke Leonal Felmet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭Duke Leonal Felmet


    lolliemc wrote: »
    when answering a question in econometrics where you are testing hypotheses how do u know which probability distribution to use i.e normal, t-test, f-test, chi-squared???

    Read this book:

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321316495/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=googlcom05-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creativeASIN=0321316495


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