Paired sample t test - overview

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Paired sample $t$ test
Repeated measures ANCOVA
Independent variableIndependent variable
2 paired groupsOne or more within subjects factors (related groups), one or more quantitative control variables of interval or ratio level (covariates), and possibly one or more between subjects factors (independent groups)
Dependent variableDependent variables
One quantitative of interval or ratio levelOne quantitative of interval or ratio level
Null hypothesisTHIS TABLE IS YET TO BE COMPLETED
H0: $\mu = \mu_0$

Here $\mu$ is the population mean of the difference scores, and $\mu_0$ is the population mean of the difference scores according to the null hypothesis, which is usually 0. A difference score is the difference between the first score of a pair and the second score of a pair.
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Alternative hypothesisn.a.
H1 two sided: $\mu \neq \mu_0$
H1 right sided: $\mu > \mu_0$
H1 left sided: $\mu < \mu_0$
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Assumptionsn.a.
  • Difference scores are normally distributed in the population
  • Sample of difference scores is a simple random sample from the population of difference scores. That is, difference scores are independent of one another
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Test statisticn.a.
$t = \dfrac{\bar{y} - \mu_0}{s / \sqrt{N}}$
Here $\bar{y}$ is the sample mean of the difference scores, $\mu_0$ is the population mean of the difference scores according to the null hypothesis, $s$ is the sample standard deviation of the difference scores, and $N$ is the sample size (number of difference scores).

The denominator $s / \sqrt{N}$ is the standard error of the sampling distribution of $\bar{y}$. The $t$ value indicates how many standard errors $\bar{y}$ is removed from $\mu_0$.
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Sampling distribution of $t$ if H0 were truen.a.
$t$ distribution with $N - 1$ degrees of freedom-
Significant?n.a.
Two sided: Right sided: Left sided: -
$C\%$ confidence interval for $\mu$n.a.
$\bar{y} \pm t^* \times \dfrac{s}{\sqrt{N}}$
where the critical value $t^*$ is the value under the $t_{N-1}$ distribution with the area $C / 100$ between $-t^*$ and $t^*$ (e.g. $t^*$ = 2.086 for a 95% confidence interval when df = 20).

The confidence interval for $\mu$ can also be used as significance test.
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Effect sizen.a.
Cohen's $d$:
Standardized difference between the sample mean of the difference scores and $\mu_0$: $$d = \frac{\bar{y} - \mu_0}{s}$$ Cohen's $d$ indicates how many standard deviations $s$ the sample mean of the difference scores $\bar{y}$ is removed from $\mu_0.$
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Visual representationn.a.
Paired sample t test
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Equivalent ton.a.
  • One sample $t$ test on the difference scores.
  • Repeated measures ANOVA with one dichotomous within subjects factor.
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Example contextn.a.
Is the average difference between the mental health scores before and after an intervention different from $\mu_0 = 0$?-
SPSSn.a.
Analyze > Compare Means > Paired-Samples T Test...
  • Put the two paired variables in the boxes below Variable 1 and Variable 2
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Jamovin.a.
T-Tests > Paired Samples T-Test
  • Put the two paired variables in the box below Paired Variables, one on the left side of the vertical line and one on the right side of the vertical line
  • Under Hypothesis, select your alternative hypothesis
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Practice questionsPractice questions