Which test is the parametric alternative to the Mann-Whitney U for two independent groups?

Which test is the parametric alternative to the Mann-Whitney U for two independent groups?

• A. Paired t-test
• B. Independent samples t-test
• C. ANOVA
• D. Chi-square

Answer: (B)

When you want to compare a continuous outcome between two independent groups and you can assume normal distributions, the appropriate parametric test is the independent samples t-test. It directly compares the means of the two groups to see if they differ, which is exactly what the Mann-Whitney U test does nonparametrically when normality isn’t assumed. The paired t-test is for related or matched samples, not two independent groups, so it doesn’t fit here. ANOVA is used to compare means across three or more groups (or to test interactions in factorial designs); with just two groups it can be used but it isn’t the standard parametric counterpart to Mann-Whitney U. Chi-square analyzes categorical data frequencies, not numeric outcomes. So, the parametric alternative for two independent groups is the independent samples t-test.

When you want to compare a continuous outcome between two independent groups and you can assume normal distributions, the appropriate parametric test is the independent samples t-test. It directly compares the means of the two groups to see if they differ, which is exactly what the Mann-Whitney U test does nonparametrically when normality isn’t assumed.

The paired t-test is for related or matched samples, not two independent groups, so it doesn’t fit here. ANOVA is used to compare means across three or more groups (or to test interactions in factorial designs); with just two groups it can be used but it isn’t the standard parametric counterpart to Mann-Whitney U. Chi-square analyzes categorical data frequencies, not numeric outcomes.

So, the parametric alternative for two independent groups is the independent samples t-test.