12.6: Summary

The ANOVA has many uses. It is primarily used to compare group differences among three or more groups; it has other uses. We compare groups all the time: treatment vs. other treatments and control, different races, different genders and sexual orientation identities, different political parties, clinical, sub-clinical or non-clinical populations, in-patient, outpatient or residential client facilities. Yes, groups are limiting in a binary world, and putting individuals in a group does miss their individuality. However, group comparisons are inevitable, and when there is a conceptual basis for the group comparison, they can yield interesting results.

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