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Re: st: statistical test to compare two survey means from two estimating equations
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From |
Steven Samuels <[email protected]> |
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To |
[email protected] |
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Subject |
Re: st: statistical test to compare two survey means from two estimating equations |
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Date |
Tue, 5 Dec 2006 15:47:43 -0500 |
|Brent Fulton originally wrote:
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| I have individual-level
|observations within each state and want to perform a simple statistical
|test: does the national mean of variable y equal the state of e.g.,
|Michigan's mean of y, where y is 0/1.
I believe that Brent's original question may be misplaced. Cochran
(Sampling Techniques, Wiley Books,1973) argues that a null hypothesis
is NEVER true for finite populations. There is no point in asking if
the mean income, say, of 10,120,860 Michiganders (2000 Census)
EXACTLY equals that of the 286,289,544 residents of the other states
Of course it doesn't. On the other hand, confidence intervals may
provide useful information on the extent of the difference. But if a
CI includes zero, then that is not a reason to "accept" a null
hypothesis known to be false in advance.
Steve
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