Statistics for Sport and Exercise Studies

CHAPTER 16

STATISTICAL CLASSIFICATION

INTRODUCTION

Statistical classification techniques can be seen as the opposite of analysis of variances (ANOVA) tests. ANOVA tests have categorical independent variables which are hypothesized to influence the values of some numerical scale dependent variables. In statistical classification, however, we produce a predictive model of categorical group membership in terms of some numerical scale independent variables. Therefore, the grouping variable is the dependent variable. Two statistical classification techniques are described using prediction of match outcomes in the 2010 FIFA World Cup as an example. Discriminant function analysis is used to predict membership of two or more groups. This technique is ...