National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) Dental Hygienist Practice Test

The chi-square test is used to compare observed results with expected results, allowing researchers to assess whether there is a significant difference between the actual data collected and what would be anticipated if the null hypothesis were true. This statistical method is particularly useful in categorical data analysis where variables can be divided into different categories.

In practice, when conducting a chi-square test, you can evaluate whether the frequencies of observations among different groups significantly differ from what would be expected if there were no association or difference between those groups. This method helps in identifying relationships between two categorical variables, making it a fundamental tool in hypothesis testing and data analysis in various fields, including healthcare research.

The other options do not serve the same purpose as the chi-square test. T-tests are designed for comparing means between two groups rather than comparing observed and expected frequencies, while the concept of a significance level relates to determining the threshold for rejecting the null hypothesis rather than directly comparing results.