Introduction

Having learnt in the previous topic about Hypothesis Testing via the one-sample \(t\)-test, this week we will extend our knowledge to two more types of \(t\)-tests: the two-sample \(t\)-test for independent samples, and the two-sample \(t\)-test for dependent (paired) samples. Throughout this topic, we will refer to these tests as the independent samples \(t\)-test and the paired \(t\)-test respectively.

In this topic, we will learn what each of these tests are via examples, as well as the following important steps:

  • Visualising the data
  • Checking the assumptions
  • Carrying out the test

Finally, in addition to learning how to determine whether or not differences in means are statistically significant, we will learn how to determine the relative size of any differences, by learning about effect sizes.

These notes have been prepared by Amanda J. Shaker. The copyright for the material in these notes resides with the author named above, with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and with La Trobe University. Copyright in this work is vested in La Trobe University including all La Trobe University branding and naming. Unless otherwise stated, material within this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Non Derivatives License CC BY-NC-ND