is there a way of calculating an effect size for the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z statistic (in SPSS or by hand)? Or should I stick to the Mann-Whitney test, even though my group sizes are less than n=25?
Solved – How to calculate the effect size for the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z statistic
effect-sizekolmogorov-smirnov test
Best Answer
Yes. $D = Z/\sqrt{n}$ for the one-sample test. $D = Z/\sqrt{\frac{n_1 n_2}{n_1 + n_2}}$ for the two-sample test. $D$ should also be the "Most Extreme Differences - Absolute" entry in the output graphic (double-click the table shown in the SPSS output viewer). $Z$ might be labeled "Test Statistic," "Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z," or something else depending on which test and version of SPSS you're using.
It depends. Mann-Whitney tests for a difference in the central tendencies by comparing average ranks; K-S tests for a difference in distributions by comparing the maximum difference in empirical cumulative distribution functions. If you expect strong shape differences, such as only low and high values in one group but middle values for the other group (this would be atypical for most data), K-S is a better choice. If you expect just a location shift, Mann-Whitney is more powerful.