Wilcoxon

Level of measurement Ordinal/Interval

Design Matched pairs/ Repeated measures

Test of difference/ Difference

association
When is the finding If the observed value is equal to or
significant? less than the critical value, the findings
are significant.
James was asked to investigate whether a promotional video for the NHS changed people overall attitude towards the NHS. Using a repeated
measures design, James constructed a questionnaire of 10 closed questions measuring participants views towards the NHS, the higher a participants
score, the more positive their attitude was viewed. James was expecting to find that peoples attitude would become more positive after watching the
promotional video about the NHS. He used a significanc level of 0.05 on his data analysis .

Participant Attitude score towards Attitude score towards

number the NHS before the the NHS after the video
video
1 6 7
2 5 7
3 10 8
4 6 8
5 8 7
6 5 6
7 9 9
8 8 9
 First stage – Calculate the difference
between the scores by taking one away
from the other
Participant Overall Overall Difference Rank Rank if Rank if
number attitude attitude positive negative
towards towards old
young people
1 6 7 -1
2 5 7 -2
3 10 8 2
4 6 8 -2
5 8 7 1
6 5 6 -1
7 9 9 0
8 8 9 -1
Total
2nd Stage – Rank the differences
• To rank the difference scores you need to put them from lowest to
highest, then allocate a rank value to them.
• Ignore the plus and minus signs when ranking
• Do not rank any scores of 0
Difference In order Rank
-1 0 0 -
-2 1 1 2.5
2 2 1 2.5
-2 3 1 2.5
1 4 1 2.5
-1 5 2 6
0 6 2 6
-1 7 2 6
3rd Stage - Add up the ranks for positive
differences and negative differences.
Participant Overall Overall Difference Rank Rank if Rank if
number attitude attitude positive negative
towards towards
young old people
1 6 7 -1 2.5 2.5
2 5 7 -2 6 6
3 10 8 2 6 6
4 6 8 -2 6 6
5 8 7 1 2.5 2.5
6 5 6 -1 2.5 2.5
7 9 9 0
8 8 9 -1 2.5 2.5
Total 8.5 19.5
4th Stage - T is the figure that is the
smallest when the ranks are totalled.

Rank if Rank if
positive negative
2.5
6
6
6 T is 8.5
2.5
2.5

2.5
8.5 19.5
5th Stage - N is the number of participants
left, ignore those with 0 differences.

• N = 7 (as one participants difference was 0)

6th Stage – Find the critical value
in the table and work out if your
results are significant.
6th Stage – Find the critical value
in the table and work out if your
results are significant.

James was asked to investigate whether a

promotional video for the NHS changed people
overall attitude towards the NHS. Using a
repeated measures design, James constructed a
questionnaire of 10 closed questions measuring
participants views towards the NHS, the higher a
participants score, the more positive their
attitude was viewed. James was expecting to
find that peoples attitude would become more
positive after watching the promotional video
about the NHS. He used a significance level of
0.05 on his data analysis.
7th Stage – Write up your findings
The observed value 8.5 is greater than the critical value 3. For a one
tailed hypothesis, at significance level 0.05 with 7 participants.
Therefore, the results are not significant, and so are due to chance.
Therefore, we can reject the alternative hypothesis and accept the null
hypothesis. This suggests that the NHS video caused no
change/difference in participants positive attitude towards the NHS
compared to their attitude before watching the NHS video.
 Sum = 2
A psychologist wanted to know if regular exercise decreased anxiety levels. She recruited 6 volunteers
and measured their anxiety levels using a questionnaire. The volunteers then completed a six week
exercise program, after which she measured their anxiety levels again. The psychologist was unsure
what her findings would be. Her results are shown in the table below.

Participant Anxiety test Anxiety test

number score before score after
exercise exercise
program program
1 35 28
2 41 39
3 22 23
4 27 26
5 33 30
6 34 35
First stage – Calculate the difference
between the scores by taking one away
from the other

Participant Anxiety test Anxiety test Difference Rank Rank if Rank if

number score before score after positive negative
exercise exercise
program program
1 35 28
2 41 39
3 22 23
4 27 26
5 33 30
6 34 35
Total
First stage – Calculate the difference
between the scores by taking one away
from the other

Participant Anxiety test Anxiety test Difference Rank Rank if Rank if

number score before score after positive negative
exercise exercise
program program
1 35 28 7
2 41 39 2
3 22 23 -1
4 27 26 1
5 33 30 3
6 34 35 -1
Total
 2nd Stage – Rank the differences
• To rank the difference scores you need to put them from lowest to
highest, then allocate a rank value to them.
• Ignore the plus and minus signs when ranking
• Do not rank any scores of 0 Participant
number
Anxiety Anxiety Difference Rank
test test
Rank if
positive
Rank if
negative
score score
Difference In order Rank before after
7 exercise exercise
0 0 - program program
2 1 1 35 28 7
-1 2 2 41 39 2
1 3 3 22 23 -1
3 4 4 27 26 1
-1 5 5 33 30 3
6 6 34 35 -1
Total
 2nd Stage – Rank the differences
• To rank the difference scores you need to put them from lowest to
highest, then allocate a rank value to them.
• Ignore the plus and minus signs when ranking
• Do not rank any scores of 0 Participant
number
Anxiety Anxiety Difference Rank
test test
Rank if
positive
Rank if
negative
score score
Difference In order Rank before after
7 exercise exercise
0 0 - program program
2 1 1 1 35 28 7
-1 2 1 2 41 39 2
1 3 1 3 22 23 -1
3 4 2 4 27 26 1
-1 5 3 5 33 30 3
6 7 6 34 35 -1
Total
 2nd Stage – Rank the differences
• To rank the difference scores you need to put them from lowest to
highest, then allocate a rank value to them.
• Ignore the plus and minus signs when ranking
• Do not rank any scores of 0 Participant
number
Anxiety Anxiety Difference Rank
test test
Rank if
positive
Rank if
negative
score score
Difference In order Rank before after
7 exercise exercise
0 0 - program program
2 1 1 2 1 35 28 7
-1 2 1 2 2 41 39 2
1 3 1 2 3 22 23 -1
3 4 2 4 4 27 26 1
-1 5 3 5 5 33 30 3
6 7 6 6 34 35 -1
Total
 2nd Stage – Rank the differences
• To rank the difference scores you need to put them from lowest to
highest, then allocate a rank value to them.
• Ignore the plus and minus signs when ranking
• Do not rank any scores of 0 Participant
number
Anxiety Anxiety Difference Rank
test test
Rank if
positive
Rank if
negative
score score
Difference In order Rank before after
7 exercise exercise
0 0 - program program
2 1 1 2 1 35 28 7 6
-1 2 1 2 2 41 39 2 4
1 3 1 2 3 22 23 -1 2
3 4 2 4 4 27 26 1 2
-1 5 3 5 5 33 30 3 5
6 7 6 6 34 35 -1 2
Total
 3rd Stage - Add up the ranks for positive
differences and negative differences.
Participant Anxiety Anxiety Difference Rank Rank if Rank if
number test score test score positive negative
before after
exercise exercise
program program
1 35 28 7 6
2 41 39 2 4
3 22 23 -1 2
4 27 26 1 2
5 33 30 3 5
6 34 35 -1 2
Total
 3rd Stage - Add up the ranks for positive
differences and negative differences.
Participant Anxiety Anxiety Difference Rank Rank if Rank if
number test score test score positive negative
before after
exercise exercise
program program
1 35 28 7 6 6
2 41 39 2 4 4
3 22 23 -1 2 2
4 27 26 1 2 2
5 33 30 3 5 5
6 34 35 -1 2 2
Total 17 4
4th Stage - T is the figure that is the
smallest when the ranks are totalled.
Rank if Rank if
positive negative
6 6
4 4
2 T is 4
2
5
2
17 4
5th Stage - N is the number of participants
left, ignore those with 0 differences.

• N=6
6th Stage – Find the critical value
in the table and work out if your
results are significant.

A psychologist wanted to know if regular exercise

decreased anxiety levels. She recruited 6 volunteers
and measured their anxiety levels using a
questionnaire. The volunteers then completed a six
week exercise program, after which she measured
their anxiety levels again. The psychologist was
unsure what her findings would be. Her results are
shown in the table below.
6th Stage – Find the critical value
in the table and work out if your
results are significant.

A psychologist wanted to know if regular exercise

decreased anxiety levels. She recruited 6 volunteers
and measured their anxiety levels using a
questionnaire. The volunteers then completed a six
week exercise program, after which she measured
their anxiety levels again. The psychologist was
unsure what her findings would be. Her results are
shown in the table below.
7th Stage – Write up your findings
The observed value _______ is __________the critical value _____. For
a __________________, at significance level ______ with _____
participants. Therefore, the results are _______________, and so
__________ to chance. Therefore, we can _________the alternative
hypothesis and accept the null hypothesis. This suggests that
__________________________
7th Stage – Write up your findings
The observed value 4 is greater than the critical value 0. For a two
tailed hypothesis, at significance level 0.05 with 6 participants.
Therefore, the results are not significant, and so are due to chance.
Therefore, we can reject the alternative hypothesis and accept the null
hypothesis. This suggests that the exercise program caused no
change/difference in participant’s anxiety levels