t-test

Mahmoud Alhussami, DSc., Ph.D.

 Learning Objectives
• Compute by hand and interpret
– Single sample t
– Independent samples t
– Dependent samples t
• Use SPSS to compute the same tests
and interpret the output
 Review 6 Steps for
Significance Testing
1. Set alpha (p 4. Find the critical
level). value of the
2. State hypotheses, statistic.
Null and 5. State the decision
Alternative. rule.
3. Calculate the test 6. State the
statistic (sample conclusion.
value).
 t-test
• t –test is about means: distribution and
evaluation for group distribution
• Withdrawn form the normal distribution
• The shape of distribution depend on
sample size and, the sum of all
distributions is a normal distribution
• t- distribution is based on sample size and
vary according to the degrees of freedom
 What is the t -test
• t test is a useful technique for comparing
mean values of two sets of numbers.
• The comparison will provide you with a
statistic for evaluating whether the difference
between two means is statistically significant.
• T test is named after its inventor, William
Gosset, who published under the pseudonym
of student.
• t test can be used either :
1.to compare two independent groups (independent-
samples t test)
2.to compare observations from two measurement
occasions for the same group (paired-samples t
test).
 What is the t -test
• The null hypothesis states that any
difference between the two means is a
result to difference in distribution.
• Remember, both samples drawn randomly
form the same population.
• Comparing the chance of having
difference is one group due to difference
in distribution.
• Assuming that both distributions
came from the same population, both
distribution has to be equal.
 What is the t -test
• Then, what we intend:
“To find the difference due to chance”
• Logically, The larger the difference in means, the
more likely to find a significant t test.
• But, recall:
1. Variability
More (less) variability = less overlap = larger
difference
2. Sample size
Larger sample size = less variability (pop) = larger difference
 Types
1. The one-sample t test is used to compare a single
sample with a population value. For example, a test could
be conducted to compare the average salary of nurses
within a company with a value that was known to
represent the national average for nurses.
2. The independent-sample t test is used to compare
two groups' scores on the same variable. For example, it
could be used to compare the salaries of nurses and
physicians to evaluate whether there is a difference in
their salaries.
3. The paired-sample t test is used to compare the means
of two variables within a single group. For example, it
could be used to see if there is a statistically significant
difference between starting salaries and current salaries
among the general nurses in an organization.
 Assumption
1. Dependent variable should be
continuous (I/R)
2. The groups should be randomly
drawn from normally distributed
and independent populations
e.g. Male X Female
Nurse X Physician
Manager X Staff
NO OVER LAP
 Assumption
3. the independent variable is categorical with two
levels
4. Distribution for the two independent variables
is normal
5. Equal variance (homogeneity of variance)
6. large variation = less likely to have sig t test =
accepting null hypothesis (fail to reject) = Type
II error = a threat to power
Sending an innocent to jail for no significant reason
 Story of power and
sample size
• Power is the probability of rejecting the
null hypothesis
• The larger the sample size is most
probability to be closer to population
distribution
• Therefore, the sample and population
distribution will have less variation
• Less variation the more likely to reject the
null hypothesis
• So, larger sample size = more power
= significant t test
 One Sample Exercise (1)
Testing whether light bulbs have a life of
1000 hours

1. Set alpha.  = .05

2. State hypotheses.
– Null hypothesis is H0:  = 1000.
– Alternative hypothesis is H1:   1000.
3. Calculate the test statistic
 Calculating the Single
Sample t
800 What is the mean of our sample?
750 X = 867
940 What is the standard deviation
970 for our sample of light bulbs?
790 SD= 96.73
980 SD 96.73
SE   30.59
820 N 10
760 X   867  1000
1000 tX    4.35
860
SX 30.59
 Determining Significance
4. Determine the critical value. Look
up in the table (Munro, p. 451).
Looking for alpha = .05, two tails
with df = 10-1 = 9. Table says
2.262.
5. State decision rule. If absolute
value of sample is greater than
critical value, reject null.
If |-4.35| > |2.262|, reject H0.
Finding Critical Values
A portion of the t distribution table
 t Values

• Critical value
decreases if N is
increased.
• Critical value
decreases if alpha
is increased.
• Differences
between the
means will not
have to be as
large to find sig if
N is large or alpha
is increased.
 Stating the Conclusion
6. State the conclusion. We reject the null
hypothesis that the bulbs were drawn from
a population in which the average life is
1000 hrs. The difference between our
sample mean (867) and the mean of the
population (1000) is SO different that it is
unlikely that our sample could have been
drawn from a population with an average
life of 1000 hours.
 SPSS Results
One-Sample Statistics

Std. Error
N Mean Std. Deviation Mean
BULBLIFE 10 867.0000 96.7299 30.5887

One-Sample Test

Test Value = 1000

95% Confidence
Interval of the
Mean Difference
t df Sig. (2-tailed) Difference Lower Upper
BULBLIFE -4.348 9 .002 -133.0000 -202.1964 -63.8036
Computers print p values rather than critical
values. If p (Sig.) is less than .05, it’s
significant.
Steps For Comparing Groups
t-tests with Two
Samples
Independent
Samples t-test

Dependent
Samples t-test
Independent Samples t-test
• Used when we have two independent
samples, e.g., treatment and control
groups. X1  X 2
• Formula is: t X1  X 2 
SEdiff
• Terms in the numerator are the sample
means.
• Term in the denominator is the standard
error of the difference between means.
Independent samples t-test

The formula for the standard error of the

difference in means: 2 2
SD1 SD2
SEdiff  
N1 N2

Suppose we study the effect of caffeine on a

motor test where the task is to keep a the
mouse centered on a moving dot. Everyone
gets a drink; half get caffeine, half get
placebo; nobody knows who got what.
Independent Sample Data
(Data are time off task)

Control (No Caffeine) Experimental (Caff)

21 12
18 14
14 10
20 8
11 16
19 5
8 3
12 9
13 11
15
N2=10, M2=15.1, SD2=4.2805 N1=9, M1=9.778, SD1=4.1164
 Independent Sample
Steps(1)

1. Set alpha. Alpha = .05

2. State Hypotheses.
Null is H0: 1 = 2.
Alternative is H1: 1  2.
 Independent Sample
Steps(2)
3. Calculate test statistic:

X 1  X 2 9.778  15.1  5.322

t    2.758
SEdiff 1.93 1.93
2 2 2 2
SD SD (4.1164 ) (4.2805)
SEdiff  
1
2
 1.93
N1 N2 9 10
 Independent Sample
Steps(2)
3. Calculate test statistic:

X 1  X 2 9.778  15.1  5.322

t    2.758
SEdiff 1.93 1.93
2 2 2 2
SD SD (4.1164 ) (4.2805)
SEdiff  
1
2
 1.93
N1 N2 9 10
 Independent Sample Steps
(3)
4. Determine the critical value. Alpha
is .05, 2 tails, and df = N1+N2-2 or
10+9-2 = 17. The value is 2.11.
5. State decision rule. If |-2.758| > 2.11,
then reject the null.
6. Conclusion: Reject the null. the
population means are different. Caffeine
has an effect on the motor pursuit task.
 Using SPSS
• Open SPSS
• Open file “SPSS Examples” for Lab 5
• Go to:
– “Analyze” then “Compare Means”
– Choose “Independent samples t-test”
– Put IV in “grouping variable” and DV in “test
variable” box.
– Define grouping variable numbers.
• E.g., we labeled the experimental group as
“1” in our data set and the control group as
“2”
 Independent Samples
Exercise
Control Experimental
20 12
18 14
14 10
20 8
16

Work this problem by hand and with SPSS.

You will have to enter the data into SPSS.
 SPSS Results
Group Statistics

Std. Error
GROUP N Mean Std. Deviation Mean
TIME experimental group 5 12.0000 3.1623 1.4142
control group 4 18.0000 2.8284 1.4142

Independent Samples Test

Levene's Test for

Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Mean Std. Error Difference
F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Difference Difference Lower Upper
TIME Equal variances
.130 .729 -2.958 7 .021 -6.0000 2.0284 -10.7963 -1.2037
assumed
Equal variances
-3.000 6.857 .020 -6.0000 2.0000 -10.7493 -1.2507
not assumed
Dependent
Samples
t-tests
 Dependent Samples t-test
• Used when we have dependent samples –
matched, paired or tied somehow
– Repeated measures
– Brother & sister, husband & wife
– Left hand, right hand, etc.
• Useful to control individual differences.
Can result in more powerful test than
independent samples t-test.
 Dependent Samples t
Formulas:
D
tXD 
SEdiff
t is the difference in means over a standard error.
SDD
SEdiff 
n pairs
The standard error is found by finding the
difference between each pair of observations. The
standard deviation of these difference is SDD.
Divide SDD by sqrt (number of pairs) to get SEdiff.
Another way to write the
formula

D
tXD 
SDD
n pairs
Dependent Samples t
example
Difference Placebo Painfree Person
(time in
sec)
5 55 60 1

15 20 35 2

10 60 70 3

5 45 50 4

0 60 60 5

7 48 55 M

5.70 16.81 13.23 SD

 Dependent Samples t
Example (2)

1. Set alpha = .05

2. Null hypothesis: H0: 1 = 2. Alternative
is H1: 1  2.
3. Calculate the test statistic:
SD 5.70
SEdiff   2.55
n pairs 5

D 55  48 7
t   2.75
SEdiff 2.55 2.55
 Dependent Samples t
Example (3)
4. Determine the critical value of t.
Alpha =.05, tails=2
df = N(pairs)-1 =5-1=4.
Critical value is 2.776
5. Decision rule: is absolute value of
sample value larger than critical value?
6. Conclusion. Not (quite) significant.
Painfree does not have an effect.
Using SPSS for dependent t-
test
• Open SPSS
• Open file “SPSS Examples” (same as
before)
• Go to:
– “Analyze” then “Compare Means”
– Choose “Paired samples t-test”
– Choose the two IV conditions you are
comparing. Put in “paired variables
box.”
 Dependent t- SPSS output
Paired Samples Statistics

Std. Error
Mean N Std. Deviation Mean
Pair PAINFREE 55.0000 5 13.2288 5.9161
1 PLACEBO 48.0000 5 16.8077 7.5166

Paired Samples Correlations

N Correlation Sig.
Pair 1 PAINFREE & PLACEBO 5 .956 .011

Paired Samples Test

Paired Differences
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Std. Error Difference
Mean Std. Deviation Mean Lower Upper t df Sig. (2-tailed)
Pair 1 PAINFREE - PLACEBO 7.0000 5.7009 2.5495 -7.86E-02 14.0786 2.746 4 .052
Relationship between t Statistic and Power
• To increase power:
– Increase the difference
between the means.
– Reduce the variance
– Increase N
– Increase α from α = .01
to α = .05
 To Increase Power
• Increase alpha, Power for α = .10 is
greater than power for α = .05
• Increase the difference between
means.
• Decrease the sd’s of the groups.
• Increase N.
Calculation of Power

From Table A.1 Zβ

of .54 is 20.5%
Power is
20.5% + 50% = 70.5%

In this
example
Power (1 - β )
= 70.5%
 Calculation of
Sample Size to
Produce a Given
Power

Compute Sample Size N for a Power of .80 at p = 0.05

The area of Zβ must be 30% (50% + 30% = 80%) From Table A.1
Zβ = .84
If the Mean Difference is 5 and SD is 6 then 22.6 subjects would
be required to have a power of .80
 Power
• Research performed with insufficient
power may result in a Type II error,
• Or waste time and money on a study that
has little chance of rejecting the null.
• In power calculation, the values for mean
and sd are usually not known
beforehand.
• Either do a PILOT study or use prior
research on similar subjects to estimate
the mean and sd.
Independent t-Test
For an Independent
t-Test you need a
grouping variable to
define the groups.
In this case the
variable Group is
defined as
1 = Active
2 = Passive
Use value labels in
SPSS
Independent t-Test: Defining
Variables

Be sure to
enter value Grouping variable GROUP, the level of
labels. measurement is Nominal.
Independent t-Test
Independent t-Test: Independent &
Dependent Variables
Independent t-Test: Define
Groups
Independent t-Test: Options
 Group Statistics
Independent t-Test:
Group N Mean Std. Deviation
Std. Error
Mean
Output
Ab_Error Active 10 2.2820 1.24438 .39351
Passive 10 1.9660 1.50606 .47626

Independent Samples Test

Levene's Test for

Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Mean Std. Error Difference
F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Difference Difference Lower Upper
Ab_Error Equal variances
.513 .483 .511 18 .615 .31600 .61780 -.98194 1.61394
assumed
Equal variances
.511 17.382 .615 .31600 .61780 -.98526 1.61726
not assumed

Assumptions: Groups have equal variance [F

= .513, p =.483, YOU DO NOT WANT THIS TO Are the groups
BE SIGNIFICANT. The groups have equal different?
variance, you have not violated an assumption
of t-statistic. t(18) = .511, p = .615
NO DIFFERENCE
2.28 is not different
from 1.96
Dependent or Paired t-Test: Define
Variables
Dependent or Paired t-Test: Select
Paired-Samples
Dependent or Paired t-Test: Select
Variables
Dependent or Paired t-Test: Options
 Paired Samples Statistics

Std. Error Dependent or Paired

Pair Pre
Mean
4.7000
N
10
Std. Deviation
2.11082
Mean
.66750
t-Test: Output
1 Post 6.2000 10 2.85968 .90431

Paired Samples Correlations

N Correlation Sig.
Pair 1 Pre & Post 10 .968 .000

Paired Samples Test

Paired Differences
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Std. Error Difference
Mean Std. Deviation Mean Lower Upper t df Sig. (2-tailed)
Pair 1 Pre - Post -1.50000 .97183 .30732 -2.19520 -.80480 -4.881 9 .001

Is there a difference between pre & post?

t(9) = -4.881, p = .001
Yes, 4.7 is significantly different from 6.2