
240 CHAPTER 11 / Performing the One-Sample t-Test and Testing Correlation Coefficients
distribution. Conversely, the marking off 5% of Distribution B will mark off less
than 5% of Distribution A. (The same problem exists for a one-tailed test.)
This issue is important because is not only the size of the region of rejection, but it is
also the probability of a Type I error. Unless we use the appropriate , the actual proba-
bility of a Type I error will not equal our and that’s not supposed to happen! Thus, there
is only one version of the t-distribution to use when testing a particular : the one that
the bored statistician would create by using the same as in our sample. Therefore, we
are no longer automatically using the critical values of 1.96 or 1.645. Instead, when your
is between 1 and 120, use the to first identify the appropriate sampling distribution
for your study. The on that distribution will accurately mark off the region of rejec-
tion so that the probability of a Type I error equals your . Thus, in the housekeeping
study with an of 9, we will use the from the t-distribution for . In a different
study, however, where might be 25, we would use the different from the t-distribu-
tion for . And so on.
REMEMBER The appropriate for the one-sample t-test comes from the
t-distribution that has equal to , where is the number of scores in
the sample.
Using the t-Tables
We obtain the different values of from Table 2 in Appendix C, entitled “Critical
Values of t.” In these “t-tables,” you’ll find separate tables for two-tailed and one-tailed
tests. Table 11.2 contains a portion of the two-tailed table.
To find the appropriate , first locate the appropriate column for your (either
or ). Then find the value of in the row at the for your sample. For example, in
the housekeeping study, is 9, so is . For a two-tailed test with
and , is 2.306.
Here’s another example: In a different study, is 61. Therefore, the
Look in Table 2 of Appendix C to find the two-tailed with . It is 2.000. The
one-tailed here is 1.671.
The table contains no positive or negative signs. In a two-tailed test, you add the
“ ,” and, in a one-tailed test, you supply the appropriate “ ” or “ .” Also, the table
uses the symbol for infinity for greater than 120. With this , using the esti-
mated population standard deviation is virtually the same as using the true population
standard deviation. Therefore, the t-distribution matches the standard normal curve,
and the critical values are those of the z-test.
Interpreting the t-Test
Once you’ve calculated and identified , you can make a
decision about your results. In our housekeeping study, we must
decide whether or not the men’s mean of 65.67 represents the same
population of scores that women have. Our is , and is
, producing the sampling distribution in Figure 11.3.
Remember, this can be interpreted as showing the frequency of all
means that occur by chance when is true. Essentially, here the
distribution shows all sample means that occur when the men’s
population of scores is the same as the women’s population, with a
of 75. Our lies beyond , so the results are significant: Ourt
crit
t
obt
H
0
;2.306
t
crit
23.61t
obt
t
crit
t
obt
dfdf1q 2
21;
t
crit
␣ 5 .05t
crit
df 5 N 2 1 5 60.N
t
crit
df 5 8
␣ 5 .05N 2 1 5 8dfN
dft
crit
.01
.05␣t
crit
t
crit
NN 2 1df
t
crit
df 5 24
t
crit
N
df 5 8t
crit
N
␣
t
crit
dfdf
df
t
obt
␣
t
crit
␣
t
crit
Alpha Level
df a .05 a .01
1 12.706 63.657
2 4.303 9.925
3 3.182 5.841
4 2.776 4.604
5 2.571 4.032
6 2.447 3.707
7 2.365 3.499
8 2.306 3.355
55
TABLE 11.2
A Portion of the t-Tables