In many social science disciplines such as communication and media studies, researchers wish to compare group averages on a dependent variable across different levels of an independent variable. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a collection of inferential statistical tests belonging to the general linear model (GLM) family that examine whether two or more levels (e.g., conditions) of a categorical independent variable have an influence on a dependent variable. As with most inferential tests, the purpose of ANOVA is to test the likelihood that the results observed are due to change differences between the groups.

This entry provides a general overview of ANOVA, including a discussion of the assumptions underlying the tests, comparison with t-tests, different forms of ANOVA, and provides two examples of ...