T-Test – Definition, Formula & Examples
  • Oct 2022
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T-Test – Definition, Formula & Examples

29th October 2022

The test statistic expresses how far a parameter's estimated value deviates from its hypothesized value in comparison to its standard error.

The test statistic is used in this test to determine whether the null hypothesis should be accepted or rejected.

A t-statistical test is an inferential statistic used to determine whether there is a significant difference when comparing the means of two groups and their relationships.

When data sets, such as those produced by tossing a coin 100 times, have unknown variances and follow a normal distribution, this test is used.

 

T-Test – In a Nutshell

The t-statistical test determines the significance of mean differences between groups and determines whether such mean differences might have occurred by chance.

When data sets have a normal distribution, but the population variance is unknown, t-testing is typically performed.

The error structure of a t-test will underestimate the true error when comparing differences between several groups, hence it should not be used to measure differences between more than two groups.

The T-statistical test measures several different factors and proves to be very dependable.

 

Definition: T-test

T-statistics use statistical analysis to compare the means of two samples. It is used in hypothesis testing with the null hypothesis (zero difference between group means) and the alternate hypothesis (the difference is not equal to zero).

The t-statistical test is commonly used when data sets exhibit a normal distribution but you are unsure about the variance of the population.

For example, you could flip a coin 1,000 times and determine that the frequency of heads is evenly distributed over all trials.

 

When to use a t-test

A suitable sample size, variance homogeneity, ratio data or interval data measurements, easy random extraction, and normal data distribution are all required for executing a t-test.

 

What type of t-test should be used?

T-tests are classified as one-sample, two-sample, or paired t-tests. These will be introduced and described in the following sections.

 

One-sample, two-sample, or paired t-test

One-sample test

  • The test determines whether or not there is a statistically significant difference between the sample mean and the population mean.

  • When the population standard deviation is unknown, one-sample t-testing is used.

  • The test is also used when the sample size is very tiny.

Two test

  • It is frequently used to verify the equivalence of two population means. It is also known as an independent sample test.

  • One common application is to examine whether a new approach or therapy is superior to an old one.

  • This test haseveralof variant. The data can be matched or not paired.

  • One of the most significant limitations of this test is that it may be invalidated if the data contradicts the assumptions.

Paired test

  • To compare the means of two samples that are related.

  • As an example: The claim that a new medicine reduces anxiety would be investigated using paired t-testing. This test would be applicable because, after taking the medication, each individual would be subjected to an anxiety test, and the data would be relevant since it would compare the anxiety levels of the same person before and after taking the drug.

 

One-tailed or two-tailed t-test

One-tailed t-test

  • This statistical procedure, also known as the directional test, is used to detect whether a sample of data deviates considerably from the theoretical mean.

  • When a directed hypothesis is present, a one-tailed test is used to analyze the hypothesis, which predicts that the model mean will be either bigger or less than the theoretical mean.

A two-tailed t-test

  • It is a statistical test that is used when the means of two groups differ significantly.

  • This strategy is used to test the null hypothesis when there is no difference between the means of the two groups.

  • The other possibility is that the two groups are significantly different.

 

Performing a t-test

For independent t-testing, the t-score is:

  • T is equal to the mean of population 1 minus the mean of population 2 divided by the product of the pooled standard deviation and the square root of one over sample size 1 plus one over sample size 2.

The following stages must be carefully followed when calculating:

 

Interpreting t-test results

To evaluate the findings, the statistical significance and practical significance of the t-statistical test results can be used.

The level of significance of a t-results test is shown by the p-value, which reflects the likelihood that the mean difference is due to chance.

3 Furthermore, the significance of the difference grows as the p-value decreases.

The findings of a t-statistical test can also be evaluated in terms of their applicability in real-world circumstances.

The effect size, calculated by dividing the mean difference by the standard deviation, determines the practical relevance of the change.

The bigger the magnitude of the influence, the greater the practical significance of the difference.

 

Presenting the results of a t-test

The results of a t-test can be displayed in a table or graph. When presenting the results of a t-test in a table, the means of the two groups being compared, the standard deviations of the two groups, the test statistic, the degrees of freedom, and the p-value should all be provided.

Furthermore, the mean of each group should be represented by a line, the standard deviation by a shaded zone surrounding the line, and the p-value should be provided on the graph when presenting the t-testing findings.

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