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T-test

Statistics notes with practice questions with detailed step wise solutions

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aditi kv
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19 views8 pages

T-test

Statistics notes with practice questions with detailed step wise solutions

Uploaded by

aditi kv
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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T- TEST

The t-test is a statistical hypothesis test used to determine whether there is a significant
difference between the means of two groups. It’s based on the t-distribution, and is typically
used when sample sizes are small and the population standard deviation is unknown.

There are two main types of t-tests for comparing means:

a. Unpaired t-test (Independent Samples t-test)


Purpose:

Used to compare the means of two independent groups (e.g., treatment vs. control group).

Example:

Comparing the average blood pressure between two different groups of people—those who took a drug
vs. those who took a placebo.

Assumptions:

1.​ The two samples are independent.​

2.​ The data in each group are normally distributed.​

3.​ The variances of the two groups are equal (if not, use Welch’s t-test).​

4.​ The data is on an interval or ratio scale.​

Formula:
Degrees of freedom (df):
df = n1+n2−2

Problem 1: Comparing Test Scores


Scenario:

A teacher wants to compare the average test scores of two different classes.

●​ Class A (n₁ = 6): 78, 85, 88, 92, 76, 81​

●​ Class B (n₂ = 6): 72, 79, 75, 68, 74, 77​

Step 1: State the Hypotheses

●​ Null hypothesis (H₀): μ₁ = μ₂ (no difference in mean scores)​

●​ Alternative hypothesis (H₁): μ₁ ≠ μ₂ (there is a difference)​

Step 2: Calculate Sample Statistics

Step 3: Pooled Standard Deviation

Step 4: Compute t-Statistic


Step 5: Degrees of Freedom
df = n1+n2−2 = 6+6-2 = 10

Step 6: Interpretation

Using a t-table, at df = 10, the critical t-value for α = 0.05 (one-tailed) is approximately ±1.812

Since 3.20 > 1.182, we reject the null hypothesis.

Conclusion: There is a significant difference in test scores between the two classes.

Problem 2: Comparing Drug Effects


Scenario:

A researcher is testing a new painkiller and compares its effect on pain relief scores between two groups.

●​ Drug Group (n₁ = 5): 8, 9, 7, 10, 9​

●​ Placebo Group (n₂ = 5): 5, 6, 4, 5, 6​

Step 1: Hypotheses

●​ H₀: μ₁ = μ₂ (no difference in pain relief)​

●​ H₁: μ₁ > μ₂ (drug is more effective)​

(This is a one-tailed test.)

Step 2: Sample Statistics

Use the formulas as shown in previous example


Step 3: Pooled Standard Deviation

Step 4: Compute t-Statistic

Step 5: Degrees of Freedom


df = n1+n2−2 = 5 + 5 - 2 = 8

Step 6: Interpretation

From the t-table, at df = 8, the critical t-value for one-tailed test at α = 0.05 is 1.860.

Since 5.38 > 1.860, we reject the null hypothesis.

Conclusion: The drug group showed significantly higher pain relief than the placebo group.
b. Paired t-test (Dependent Samples t-test)
Purpose:

Used to compare the means of two related groups or matched pairs (e.g., before and after treatment on
the same subjects).

Example:

Measuring the weight of patients before and after a diet program.

Assumptions:

1.​ The paired differences are independent.​

2.​ The differences are normally distributed.​

3.​ Data are interval or ratio scale.​

Formula:

Degrees of freedom (df):


df = n−1

Problem 1: Blood Pressure Before and After Treatment


Scenario:

A doctor tests whether a new drug reduces systolic blood pressure.​


She measures the blood pressure of 6 patients before and after treatment.
Patient Before After

1 150 140

2 160 145

3 170 160

4 155 150

5 165 155

6 158 150

Step 1: Hypotheses

●​ H₀: μ_d = 0 (no difference in mean blood pressure)​

●​ H₁: μ_d > 0 (blood pressure is reduced after treatment — one-tailed test)​

Let d = Before−After

Step 2: Calculate Differences (d = Before − After)


Patient Before After d

1 150 140 10

2 160 145 15

3 170 160 10

4 155 150 5

5 165 155 10

6 158 150 8

Step 3: Calculate t-statistic


Step 4: Degrees of Freedom
df = n−1 = 6−1 = 5

Step 5: Interpretation

Using a t-table:

●​ For df = 5 and α = 0.05, one-tailed critical t-value ≈ 2.015​

Since 7.01 > 2.015, we reject H₀.

Conclusion: The treatment significantly reduces blood pressure.

Problem 2: Memory Scores Before and After Training


Scenario:

A psychologist evaluates memory scores of participants before and after a cognitive training session.

Participant Before After

A 52 58

B 60 65

C 55 62

D 50 56

E 58 63

Step 1: Hypotheses

●​ H₀: μ_d = 0 (no change in memory scores)​

●​ H₁: μ_d ≠ 0 (training affects memory — two-tailed test)​


Let d = After − Before

Step 2: Calculate Differences


Participant After Before d

A 58 52 6

B 65 60 5

C 62 55 7

D 56 50 6

E 63 58 5

Step 3: Calculate t-statistic

Step 4: Degrees of Freedom


df = 5 - 1 = 4

Step 5: Interpretation

From the t-table:

●​ At df = 4, critical t-value for α = 0.05 (two-tailed) ≈ 2.776​

Since 15.45 > 2.776, we reject the null hypothesis.

Conclusion: The cognitive training significantly improved memory scores.

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