Question

what would a researcher use this t-test for? Provide an example.

Answer 1

• A t-test is an analysis of two populations means through the use of statistical examination; a t-test with two samples is commonly used with small sample sizes, testing the difference between the samples when the variances of two normal distributions are not known.
• The t-test was designed to test previously developed hypotheses.
• The two-sample t-test. This is perhaps the most commonly used (and misused) form of the t-test. It tests for significant differences in the means of two distinct populations. For example, researcher can use this test to see if there are significant differences in how men and women score the new concept.
• The one-sample t-test. Used to test whether or not the population average (mean) has a pre-determined value. For example, a company may have specified that all new concepts need to achieve a score of at least 50 before they can proceed to the next phase of testing. Researcher use the one sample t-test to determine if any new concepts test significantly below this standard.
• With a t test, the researcher wants to state with some degree of confidence that the obtained difference between the means of the sample groups is too great to be a chance event and that some difference also exists in the population from which the sample was drawn.