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FISHER

The FISHER function returns the Fisher transformation of a given value. This transformation is commonly used in statistics to normalize a distribution and improve the accuracy of hypothesis tests and confidence intervals. The resulting value will always be between -1 and 1, with values closer to 1 indicating a stronger correlation between two variables.

Usage

Use the FISHER formula with the syntax shown below, it has 1 required parameter:

=FISHER(value)
Parameters:
  1. value (required):
    The value to be transformed. Must be a numeric value between -1 and 1, inclusive.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the FISHER formula in Google Sheets.

Calculating correlation coefficients

The FISHER function is often used to calculate correlation coefficients between two sets of data. By transforming the data using the Fisher transformation, the resulting correlation coefficient will have a more symmetric distribution and be more suitable for hypothesis testing.

Normalizing data

The Fisher transformation can be used to normalize data that does not follow a normal distribution. This can be useful when performing statistical analysis or building predictive models.

Working with confidence intervals

The Fisher transformation is commonly used when calculating confidence intervals for correlation coefficients or other statistical measures. By transforming the data, the resulting confidence intervals will have a more symmetrical distribution and be more accurate.

Common Mistakes

FISHER not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the FISHER Google Sheets Formula:

Incorrect argument type

FISHER formula requires a numerical value as an argument. If a non-numerical value is provided, the formula will return an error. To correct this mistake, make sure the argument is a numerical value.

Invalid argument range

FISHER formula requires a value between -1 and 1 as an argument. If a value outside of this range is provided, the formula will return an error. To correct this mistake, make sure the argument falls within the acceptable range.

Missing argument

FISHER formula requires one argument to be provided. If no argument is provided, the formula will return an error. To correct this mistake, make sure to provide one argument.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to FISHER or are often used with it in a formula:

  • CORREL

    The CORREL formula returns the correlation coefficient between two sets of data. This coefficient represents the strength of the linear relationship between the two sets of data, with values ranging from -1 (perfect negative correlation) to 1 (perfect positive correlation).

  • PEARSON

    The PEARSON function calculates the correlation coefficient between two sets of data points, data_y and data_x. This coefficient indicates how closely related the two sets of data are. A high correlation coefficient indicates a strong positive correlation, while a low coefficient indicates a weak or negative correlation. This function is commonly used in statistical analysis and data visualization.

  • STDEV

    The STDEV function calculates the standard deviation of a set of numbers. It measures the amount of variation or dispersion of a set of values from the average (mean) value. It is commonly used in statistics to determine the spread of a data set. The values can be supplied as individual cells, ranges, or constants.

  • AVERAGE

    The AVERAGE function calculates the average (arithmetic mean) of the values passed to it. It is commonly used to find the average of a range of cells containing numerical data.

Learn More

You can learn more about the FISHER Google Sheets function on Google Support.