Read · 1 min
We've already learned about the types of error and one- and two-tailed test. In this next lesson, we will learn about another statistical hypothesis test: the one sample t-test.
Making Sense of One-Sample T-Tests
Below are four steps to conducting a one-sample t-test
1) Write out hypothesis statements (null and alternative)
one-sample:
(two-tailed)
(upper-tailed)
(lower-tailed)
Such that:
is the value you are comparing the mean to (aka comparison value)
and \mu is your one sample mean
2) Plug known values into one-sample t-score formula
Such that:
sample mean
population mean/hypothesized value
sample standard deviation
sample size
3) Determine the degrees of freedom ()
for a one-sample t-test
4) Determine the critical value by looking up () in a t-table
Note: For one-sample t-tests we do not divide by 2 before looking up the critical value in the t-table as we do for two-sample t-tests.
5) T-Test Conclusion/Significance (Reject Null Hyp. or Fail to Reject Null Hyp)
If the absolute value of the t-value is greater than the critical value, you reject the null hypothesis. If the absolute value of the t-value is less than the critical value, you fail to reject the null hypothesis.
Learning More
In a one sample t-test, the test statistic compares the mean of a sample to a known population mean to determine if there is a significant difference. The standard error quantifies the variability of the sample mean around the population mean, crucial for determining the precision of the test statistic.
We can also incorporate the confidence interval. A confidence interval for a one-sample t-test indicates a range of values in the sample that is likely to contain the true population mean with a certainty.
