Titanic Survival: Sex Association Analysis
Titanic Survival: Sex Association Analysis
The contingency coefficient value of 0.47 and the Phi-coefficient value of 0.53 indicate a strong association between sex and survival. According to Cohen's (1988) conventions, a Phi-coefficient of 0.5 or higher represents a large effect size. This suggests that the association between sex and survival is not only statistically significant but also substantial in terms of effect size .
The test results show that there was a significant association between sex and survival rates. Specifically, significantly fewer women died than expected, and significantly more males died than expected, as indicated by the standardized residuals for each category, which were 12.07 for females surviving (more than expected) and -8.97 for males surviving (fewer than expected).
The significance level (p < .001) is much lower than the typical threshold of .05, indicating a very strong statistical certainty in the results. The effect size, reflected by Cramer's V of 0.53, is considered large and further supports the strength of the association between sex and survival. These factors combined make the analysis notably robust, highlighting a profound and reliable association not commonly observed in many statistical studies .
The conclusion from the chi-square test aligns with historical narratives that suggest women were given priority in rescue efforts, leading to higher survival rates. The significant association between sex and survival, evidenced by the large chi-square value and effect size, reflects the known historical context that 'women and children first' was a guiding principle during the evacuation .
The chi-square test of independence evaluates whether there is a significant association between two categorical variables—in this case, sex (male/female) and survival (yes/no) on the Titanic. The observed frequencies are compared against expected frequencies under the assumption of no association. The reported chi-square value of 365.89 with a p-value less than .001 indicates a statistically significant association, suggesting the survival rate was not independent of sex .
Expected counts are crucial because they represent the frequencies that would occur if there were no association between the variables. By comparing observed counts with expected counts and analyzing the deviation through standardized residuals, researchers can determine how much the observed data deviate from the null hypothesis of independence. Such deviations, as reflected in large residuals, demonstrate that the actual survival rates varied significantly between sexes, supporting the alternative hypothesis that there is an association between sex and survival .
The test reveals significant gender disparities in survival outcomes, with women benefiting from higher survival rates due to social norms that prioritize their rescue. This suggests that societal values and constructed norms heavily influence survival in life-or-death situations. Modern emergency protocols could take this information into account to ensure equality and fairness, examining whether and how social norms affect decisions in current contexts .
If the null hypothesis were true, we would expect the observed counts to closely match the expected counts for both males and females in terms of survival, indicating no significant association between sex and survival. The absence of large standardized residuals, which currently show significant deviations from these expectations, would also suggest that any discrepancies were due to random chance rather than a true relationship .
Pearson residuals highlight the discrepancies between observed and expected frequencies for each cell in the contingency table. They are essentially a standardized measure of how far off the observed counts are from expected counts under the null hypothesis. Large positive or negative residuals, as seen in this analysis, allow researchers to identify specific categories where the observed counts significantly exceed or fall short of expectations, thereby deepening the understanding of the association and the direction of the deviation from independence .
Standardized residuals indicate the strength and direction of deviations from expected counts. A high positive or negative residual suggests a larger than expected discrepancy from the null hypothesis. In this analysis, the large residuals for females' survival (12.07) and males' non-survival (7.05) suggest that the observed counts significantly differ from the expected counts, confirming a strong association between the sex of individuals and their chances of survival on the Titanic .