The number of degrees of freedom for the appropriate chi-square distribution in a test of independence is _____.
A) n - 1
B) k - 1
C) number of rows minus 1 times number of columns minus 1
D) dependent upon the statement of the null hypothesis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The chi-square test of independence involves comparing the observed and expected frequencies in a contingency table. The degrees of freedom for this test is equal to the product of the number of rows minus 1 and the number of columns minus 1. This is because once the frequencies for some of the cells are known, the frequencies for the remaining cells must be such that the row and column totals are fixed. This reduces the number of degrees of freedom. Therefore, the appropriate answer is C.

The Number of Degrees of Freedom for the Appropriate Chi-Square