Question

For which of the following research questions could you test using a dependent samples t-test? Group of answer choices Do student athletes and non student athletes differ on levels of self-esteem? Is there a difference in verbal problem solving skills between science majors and art majors? Is pain tolerance different with acupuncture versus without acupuncture needles? Do boys and girls differ on mathematical abilities?

Answer 1

Lets first understand what is dependent sample t-test.

The dependent t-test (also called the paired t-test or paired-samples t-test) compares the means of two related groups to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between these means.

A dependent t-test is an example of a "within-subjects" or "repeated measures" statistical test. This indicates that the same participants are tested more than once.

Thus, in the dependent t-test, "related groups" indicates that the same participants are present in both groups.

The reason that it is possible to have the same participants in each group is that each participant has been measured on two occasions on the same dependent variable.

For example, you might have measured the performance of 10 participants in a spelling test (the dependent variable) before and after they underwent a new form of computerised teaching method to improve spelling. You would like to know if computer training improved their spelling performance.

Here, we can use a dependent t-test because we have two related groups. The first related group consists of the participants at the beginning (prior to) the computerised spell training and the second related group consists of the same participants, but now at the end of the computerised training.

1) Group of answer choices Do student-athletes and non-student athletes differ on levels of self-esteem

Here data is not paired. We have two different groups as athletes & non-athletes.

Measurements are not taken on the same group twice.

2) Is there a difference in verbal problem-solving skills between science majors and art majors

Here data is not paired. We have two different groups as science majors & art majors.

Measurements are not taken on the same group twice.

3) Do boys and girls differ on mathematical abilities?

Here data is not paired. We have two different groups as Boys & Girls.

Measurements are not taken on the same group twice.

4) Is pain tolerance different with acupuncture versus without acupuncture needles?

Here data is paired because we can take an observation on tolerance of different acupuncture with & without needles on the same people.

So we can use the dependent sample t-test.

Observation are taken on same group, first with needles & then without needles.