Solved – Contradiction between significant effect in multiple regression, but non-significant t-test on its own

multiple regressionstatistical significancet-test

I ran a multiple regression using 10 independent variables and the single dependent variable (consumer complaining behaviour). One of those independent variables was gender. The $R^2$ for the model itself was $.157 (F= 20.50, p = .000)$ which whilst not the highest $R^2$ score was at least significant. Down in the coefficients table Gender $(\beta = -.083, p = .006)$. As my supervisor explained it is a significant score that accepts the alternative, and has a negative relationship with CCB. Interpretively, it would mean men are more likely to complain than women (men = 1 women = 2).

Now I got a bit curious and did a t-test to test the difference in means and as it turns out there is no significant difference between the gender groups.

This is where I'm getting a bit confused… I'm not sure how I'm meant to interpret these results. It just seems like maybe they contradict each other?

Best Answer

The multiple regression model controls for other sources of variability in the DV, whereas in the t-test, all of that variability is lumped into the error term. Thus, the t-test has lower statistical power to detect the effect. Under the assumption that the effect is real, however, the t-test would show 'significance' with a sample that was large enough.