If a research report contains the results of an independent measures ANOVA as follows: F(3,28) = 5.36, p<.01 the study only compared two groups rather than three correct?
No, the research report you mentioned indicates that the study compared more than two groups. Here's how you can tell:
The information "F(3,28) = 5.36" suggests that the study used an Independent Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with three groups involved. The first number within the parentheses (3) represents the degrees of freedom for the numerator, which corresponds to the number of groups minus 1. Therefore, in this case, there were three groups being compared.
The second number within the parentheses (28) represents the degrees of freedom for the denominator, which corresponds to the total number of participants minus the number of groups. This value indicates the total sample size used in the study.
Hence, based on the information provided, the study involved three groups rather than just two.