This document discusses planned contrast ANOVA, which allows researchers to test specific hypotheses about group mean differences rather than an overall hypothesis. It provides an example comparing IQ scores of blondes, brunettes and redheads. Researchers can create contrast variables to test the hypotheses that blonde and brunette means equal each other and that blonde and brunette means together equal the redhead mean. Planned contrast ANOVA merges regression and ANOVA techniques to test these focused hypotheses rather than an overall difference in means.