The question in your homework asks about the purpose of the ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) procedure.

ANOVA is used to determine if there are statistically significant differences between the means of three or more groups (not just two). Specifically, it tests whether the means of more than two populations are equal or not.

Looking at the answer choices:

• Correct Answer: "the means of more than two populations are not equal." This is because ANOVA tests the hypothesis that all means are equal (null hypothesis), and if rejected, it suggests at least one mean is different.

Would you like further details or have any questions?

Relative questions:

1. How does ANOVA differ from a t-test?
2. What assumptions must be met for ANOVA to be valid?
3. Can ANOVA be used for testing the difference between just two groups?
4. What are post-hoc tests, and when are they used in ANOVA?
5. What is the F-statistic, and how is it related to ANOVA results?

Tip:

ANOVA assumes homogeneity of variances across groups; if this assumption is violated, you might need to use a different version like Welch's ANOVA.