Mann–Whitney U test

a nonparametric test of centrality for ordinal data that contrasts scores from two independent samples to assess whether there are significant differences between the two sets of rankings. The statistic obtained from this test, U, is calculated by summing the number of ranks in one group that are smaller than each of the ranks in the other group. A Mann–Whitney U test is analogous to a one-way analysis of variance, except that the former is conducted with ranked data and the latter is conducted with continuous data. See also Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test. [Henry Berthold Mann (1905–2000), Austrian-born U.S. mathematician; Donald Ransom Whitney (1915–2001), U.S. statistician]

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Psychology term of the day

March 17th 2025

curiosity

n. the impulse or desire to investigate, observe, or gather information, particularly when the material is novel or interesting. This drive appears spontaneously in nonhuman animals and in young children, who use sensory exploration and motor manipulation to inspect, bite, handle, taste, or smell practically everything in the immediate environment. See exploratory drive. —curious adj.