Little's MCAR Test

Little's MCAR (Missing Completely at Random) Test is a statistical method used to determine if missing data in a dataset is random or related to specific factors. When data is MCAR, the missingness is unrelated to any observed or unobserved variables, meaning the missing values happen purely by chance. This is important because it affects how we handle missing data in analysis; if data is MCAR, simple methods like listwise deletion are less biased. Little's test assesses whether the pattern of missing data is consistent with MCAR, helping researchers decide the appropriate approach for data analysis.