Assignment 5: T-Test

Instructions:
Complete this assignment by placing answers under each question. Discuss your answers
in detailed paragraphs using your own words. Do not just provide two or three sentences.
Do not copy word for word from your textbooks (Field and Salkind). You also need to
cite and reference your work so as not to lose points.

Total points: 20 (each question is worth 2 points)

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/12/11/567746569/could-probiotics-
protect-kids-from-a-downside-of-antibiotics
Read the article from the link above and use it to answer question 3;
1. When is an independent-samples t-test used?

According to Feild "the independent t-test uses the t-statistic to establish whether two
means collected from independent samples differ significantly". This test compares two
means based on independent data in order to determine there is evidence that the
associated population means are different. This t-test occurs when there are two groups.

2. What are assumptions, and why are they important?

Assumptions are statistical tests that allow one to make characteristics about the data.
Statistical tests are used when the data is independent, compared having the same
variance, and are normally distributed. According to The Importance of Assumption
Testing “analysis allows you to determine if you can correctly draw conclusions from the
results of your analysis”.

3. What was the IV in the study described? The DV? Was the experiment
between or within subjects? Based on this information, what type of t-test do
you think was used for the data and why?

In this study the independent variable is the antibiotics that “won't just wipe out the bad
bacteria they could mess up the good bacteria in Jackson's body, too” (Stein). These
antibiotics are causing stomach problems like diarrhea, which is the dependent variable.
The variables in a study of cause-and-effect variables also known as independent and
dependent variables. This type of study used a within design. A within design according
to Budiu “within-subjects (or repeated-measures) study design: the same person tests all
the conditions (i.e., all the user interfaces)”. For this study I believe a two-tailed test
would for this because a two-tailed test is used “if you want to know only whether a
difference exists, use a two-tailed test”
 4. (a) In your own words, please tell me what a significant t-test finding will tell
us about the null hypothesis. What does it mean when you find a statistically
significant difference?

When the t-test gives a significant result, it means that we reject the null hypothesis
meaning there is enough evidence that the population parameter is not equal to a
hypothesized value. The null hypothesis is that the population means are equal to the
hypothesized value.

5. What will a non-significant finding tell us? Give an example.

When a t-test gives a non-significant result, it means we do not reject the null hypothesis
meaning there is no significant difference between a population parameter and
hypothesized value. Non-significant results "means that the results are considered to be
statistically non-significant‟ if the analysis shows that differences as large as (or larger
than) the observed difference would be expected to occur by chance more than one out of
twenty times"

6. How might the t-test for independent samples be used in the real world? Give
practical examples.

An independent variable compares the means between two unrelated groups on the same
continuous dependent variable. Some examples of this variable being used in real life
according to Zach are through manufacturing and medicine. Zach states, "a doctor may
want to know if some new drug leads to a significant reduction in blood pressure
compared to the current standard drug used. To test this, he recruits 20 subjects to
participate in a study in which they each take the new drug for one month. He can
perform a one-sample t-test to determine if the mean reduction in blood pressure is
significantly greater than the mean reduction that results from the current standard drug"

7. Why does it matter that there is homogeneity of variance when you want to
use the independent-samples t-test?

Homogeneity of variance is a step in comparing two independent groups on a continuous

outcome. Scale Statistics states " homogeneity of variance essentially makes sure that the
distributions of the outcomes in each group are comparable and similar. If independent
groups are not similar in this regard, superfluous findings can be yielded. Independent
samples t-tests should not be conducted on continuous variables that violate the
assumption of homogeneity of variance. Independent samples t-tests should only be
conducted on continuous outcomes between groups that have "equal" or "similar"
variances."
 8. What are degrees of freedom used for?

According to Frost "The degrees of freedom (DF) in statistics indicate the number of
independent values that can vary in an analysis without breaking any constraints. It is an
essential idea that appears in many contexts throughout statistics including hypothesis
tests, probability distributions, and regression analysis". Degrees of freedom is also
known as "n" the number of items in a set. To find the degrees of freedom you take the
"n" minus one. It is used to make inferences about population parameters based on
sample data.

9. If the direction of the difference between two groups is not specified, will you
want to use a one-tailed or a two-tailed test?

A two-tailed test according to Feild "is a test of non-directional hypothesis" (p.754).

While the one-tailed test is "a test of directional hypothesis" (p.747). If you wanted to
know if there is a difference between two groups according to Feild's definition you
would use a two-tailed test. You should choose a two-tailed test for this scenario because
it covers both right and left alternatives.

10. Write one multiple choice question on any material from Chapter 10. It is fine
to include an SPSS screenshot as part of your question if you want to. Include
4 possible answers and also indicate which answer you believe to be correct.

A researcher wanted to test to see the difference between happiness levels of a group
of 20 people when the either pet a kitten versus a puppy. By having ten of randomly
selected group to pet the kittens and the other ten to pet the puppy they then switch.
What type of animal brings them the most happiness, what type of t-test should the
researcher use?
A) One-sample t-test
B) Dependent t-test
C) Two-sample t-test
D) Indepednet t-test
I believe the correct answer is option B because a dependent t-test is "used to compare
two means for the same sample tested at two different times or under two different
conditions" (Chiang et al., 2015).
 Works Cited
Budiu, R. (2018, May 13). Between-Subjects vs. Within Subjects Study Design.
Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/between-within-subjects/
Could Probiotics Protect Kids From A Downside Of Antibiotics? (n.d.). NPR.org.
Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/transcripts/567746569
Comparing Two Means. (2017, January 6). Discovering Statistics.
https://www.discoveringstatistics.com/statistics-hell-p/porus-comparing-
means/comparing-two-means/
Chiang, I.-C. A., Jhangiani, R. S., & Price, P. C. (2015). Some Basic Null Hypothesis
Tests. Opentextbc.ca. https://opentextbc.ca/researchmethods/chapter/some-
basic-null-hypothesis-tests/
Frost, J. (2017, September 29). Degrees of Freedom in Statistics - Statistics By Jim.
Statistics by Jim. https://statisticsbyjim.com/hypothesis-testing/degrees-
freedom-statistics/
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE
Publications.
The Importance of Assumption Testing. (2017, January 4). Statistics Solutions.
https://www.statisticssolutions.com/the-importance-of-assumption-testing/
‌Which t-test should I use? (n.d.). Scribbr. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from
https://www.scribbr.com/frequently-asked-questions/which-t-test-should-i-use/
(n.d.). Results should not be reported as statistically significant or statistically non-
significant [Review of Results should not be reported as statistically significant
or statistically non-significant]. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from
https://community.cochrane.org/sites/default/files/uploads/inline-files/
Interpreting%20statistical%20significance.pdf
(n.d.). Homogeneity of variance and independent samples t-test [Review of
Homogeneity of variance and independent samples t-test]. Scale Statistics.
Retrieved November 19, 2021, from
https://www.scalestatistics.com/homogeneity-of-variance-and-independent-
samples-t test.html#:~:text=%E2%80%8BHomogeneity%20of%20variance
%20essentially,superfluous%20findings%20can%20be%20yielded.
Zach. (2021, May 18). 6 Examples of Using T-Tests in Real Life [Review of 6 Examples
of Using T-Tests in Real Life]. Statology. https://www.statology.org/t-test-real-
life-examples/
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