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Introduction to Power Analysis. G. Quinn & M. Keough, 2003 Do not copy or distribute without permission of authors. Power of test. Probability of detecting an effect if it exists Probability of rejecting incorrect H O 1 – b, where b is the Type II error. Region where H o retained.
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Introduction to Power Analysis G. Quinn & M. Keough, 2003 Do not copy or distribute without permission of authors.
Power of test • Probability of detecting an effect if it exists • Probability of rejecting incorrect HO • 1 – b, where b is the Type II error
Region where Ho retained Region where Ho rejected Ho HA Type II error Type I error
Statistical power depends on • Effect size (ES) • size of difference between treatments • large effects easier to detect • Background variation: • variation between experimental units (s2 estimated by s2) • greater background variability, less likely to detect effects
Sample size (n) for each treatment group: • increasing sample size makes effects easier to detect • Significance level (a): • Type I error rate • as a decreases, b increases, power decreases
Power analysis If a is fixed (usually at 0.05), then
Exact formula depends on statistical test (i.e. different for t, F etc.)
c2 z P(y) t F P(y) y y
Diminshing returns Good returns
Post-hoc (a posteriori) power analysis • If conclusion is non-significant: • report power of experiment to detect relevant effect size. • Solve power equation for specific ES:
Karban (1993) Ecology 74:9-19 • Plant growth and reproduction in response to reduced herbivores. • Two treatments: • normal herbivore damage • reduced herbivore damage • n = 31 plants in each treatment • For plant growth: F1,60 = 0.51, P = 0.48 ns
Karban (1993) Ecology 74:9-19 Power to detect effects: Small effect (ES = 0.1) 0.11 Medium effect (ES = 0.25) 0.50 Large effect (ES = 0.40) 0.88 Effect size (ES) = ÖMSGroups / ÖMSResidual ie. SD Groups / SD Reps - see Cohen (1992)
A priori power analysis sample size determination To determine appropriate sample size a priori, we need to know: • what power we want • background variation (from pilot study or previous literature) • what ES we wish to be able to detect if it occurs
Example of a priori power analysis • Effects of fish predation on mudflat crabs • Two treatments: • cage vs cage control • Pilot study: • number of crabs in 3 plots • variance was 19 (sos2 = 19) • mean was 20
Aims: • to detect 50% increase in crab numbers due to caging, ie. an increase from 20 to about 30; so ES = 50% (or 10 crabs per plot) • to be 80% sure of picking up such an effect if it occurred; so power = 0.80 • How many replicate plots required for each treatment? • what is required n?
Minimum Detectable Effect Size • If an ES can’t be determined • Specify target power, solve for ES
Effect size • How big: • what size of effect is biologically important? • how big an effect do we want to detect if it occurs?
Effect size • Where from? • biological knowledge • previous work/literature • compliance requirements (e.g. water quality)
Specification of effect size • Easy for 2 groups: • difference between 2 means Central t Noncentral t P(y) 0
Specification of effect size • Harder for more than 2 groups: • Consider 4 groups: • 50% difference from smallest to largest • 1 = 2 = 3 < 4? • 1 < 2 < 3 < 4? • 1 = 2 < 3 = 4? • Shape of alternative distribution depends on the particular pattern
Central F P(y)
One-way ANOVARange = 10, s = 6.2 1.00 0.80 3 vs 1 0.60 Power 2 vs 2 0.40 Linear 0.20 0.00 2 4 6 8 10 No. of replicates
Estimate of variance • Other work on same system • Published work on similar systems • Pilot studies • Must be estimate of same kind of variance • e.g. paired vs two-sample t test • Variance of difference vs variance of each sample
Power analysis requires • Clear understanding of the kind of statistical model to be used (inc. the formal tests) • Careful thought about important effects; hardest step, especially for interactions • An estimate of variance • Significance level to be used • Desired level of confidence • Understanding of non-centrality parameters for complex designs
Cautions • Variance estimates may be uncertain • Allow for extra samples in case of larger than expected variation • Realized power • Cohen’s Effect Sizes • Raw & standardized ES • Terminology
Options for study planning: n • Level of significance • Desired power • Target effect size • Estimate of variation • Calculated sample size • or Power vs n • “Safety” factor
Options for planning: ES • Significance level • Desired level of confidence • Estimate of variation • Suggested sample size (or range) • Effect that should be detected • ES vs n
Power calculations • Charts & tables available in many books • Software will do these calculations: • Gpower • www.zoology.unimelb.edu.au/stats • PiFace & Java applets • www.uiowa.edu/~rlenth/power • Review at: • http://sustain.forestry.ubc.ca/cacb/power • Some statistical packages • But check what they do!