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Mann-Whitney U test
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Mann-Whitney U test
The first idea of such a test was in 1914, however it wasn’t fully completed at this time. In 1945, Frank Wilcoxon proposed a more in-depth view however, it was still missing some key points. A few years after in 1947, Henry Mann and his student Donald Whitney conducted a full analysis and created what is now known as the Mann-Whitney U test.
A common way to conduct a Mann-Whitney U test is to first decide on a null and alternative hypothesis; for example, ‘There will be no difference between the speed of a dog and the speed of a cat’, ‘There will be a difference between the speed of a dog and the speed of a cat’.
To test these hypotheses, a test using six cats and six dogs will take place, where each animal will race the same distance on the same track. The times of all 12 animals are recorded and each animal will be given a score based off how many of the other animal they beat.
The results could be in this order: C, C, D, C, D, D, D, C, D, D, C, C with ‘C’ being cat and ‘D’ being dog. The cats’ scores were: 6, 6, 5, 2, 0, 0; with the dogs’ scores being 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2. The next stage is to add up all the scores for each animal (cat – 6+6+5+2+0+0=19) (dog – 4+3+3+3+2+2=17).
This study shows that, although not much, there is a difference between the speed of a dog and the speed of a cat.
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From agile testing to deep-dive strategic studies, we design research to meet your specific objectives. The agility of our in-house operations team and strength of our UK-wide recruiter network enable seamless execution at scale.
Our sector-focused teams have decades of experience understanding audiences and the complexities of the markets in which our clients operate. Working collaboratively we deliver actionable insight which drives positive change.
We build small, director-led, teams of sector experts who are with you from brief to debrief. As an employee-owned company, every one of us is invested in delivering quality, value, and long-term impact.
From agile testing to deep-dive strategic studies, we design research to meet your specific objectives. The agility of our in-house operations team and strength of our UK-wide recruiter network enable seamless execution at scale.
Our sector-focused teams have decades of experience understanding audiences and the complexities of the markets in which our clients operate. Working collaboratively we deliver actionable insight which drives positive change.
Contact us today to discuss your next market research project and discover how we could become a valuable extension of your team.
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Contact us today to discuss your next market research project and discover how we could become a valuable extension of your team.
Contact us 
