How to Report Chi-Square Results in APA Format

There are two types of Chi-Square tests that are commonly used:

• Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test: Used to determine whether or not a categorical variable follows a hypothesized distribution.
• Chi-Square Test of Independence: Used to determine whether or not there is a significant association between two categorical variables.

We use the following general structure to report the results of a Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test in APA format:

A Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test was performed to determine whether the proportion of [variable name] was equal between [number of groups].

 

The proportions [did or did not] differ by [variable name], X²(df, N) = [X² value], p = [p-value].

And we use the following general structure to report the results of a Chi-Square Test of Independence in APA format:

A Chi-Square Test of Independence was performed to assess the relationship between [variable 1] and [variable 2].

 

There [was or was not] a significant relationship between the two variables, X²(df, N) = [X² value], p = [p-value].

Keep the following in mind when reporting the results of a Chi-Square test in APA format:

• Round the p-value to three decimal places.
• Round the value for the Chi-Square test statistic X² to two decimal places.
• Drop the leading 0 for the p-value and X² (e.g. use .72, not 0.72)

The following examples show how to report the results of both types of Chi-Square tests in practice.

Example 1: Reporting Results of Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test

Suppose an economist collected data on the proportion of residents in three different cities who supported a certain law. He performed a Chi-Square Goodness of Fit test to determine if the proportion of residents who supported the law differed between the three cities.

Here is how to report the results in APA format:

A Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test was performed to determine whether the proportion of residents who supported a certain law was equal between three different cities.

 

The proportions did not differ by city, X²(2, N = 60) = 4.36, p = .113.

Example 2: Reporting Results of Chi-Square Test of Independence

A professor collects data on sports preference and gender among his students. He performs a Chi-Square Test of Independence to determine if there is a significant relationship between the two variables.

Here is how to report the results in APA format:

A Chi-Square Test of Independence was performed to assess the relationship between sports preference and gender.

 

There was a significant relationship between the two variables, X²(2, N=50) = 7.34, p = .025. Women were less likely to prefer football compared to men.

Additional Resources

The following tutorials explain how to report other statistical tests and procedures in APA format:

How to Report Cronbach’s Alpha (With Examples)
How to Report t-Test Results (With Examples)
How to Report Regression Results (With Examples)
How to Report ANOVA Results (With Examples)