Please follow instructions

Subject Statistics 101

This week we are introduced to the "one sample T-test" which tests if a given sample of observations could have been generated from a population with a specified mean. For this week's discussion assignment, describe a hypothesis that could be tested specifically with this type of analysis.

Importantly, a Z-test (Week 7, Ch. 8) and T-test (Week 8, Ch. 9) have separate uses and functions. One key difference is whether or not population parameters are known (Z-test) or unknown (T-test). With a T-test, a researcher can use the mean from a sample of scores to estimate whether or not a hypothesized population mean is significantly different or not. The researcher starts with a hypothesis about the population mean and calculates a sample mean and standard deviation to calculate the statistical comparison. Just one sample is involved, hence the same (although next week we look at "two-sample T-tests/Ch. 10" which allow for comparisons between two independent groups).

This week responses must relate to the one sample t-test. Describe one hypothesis you'd like to test, being sure to specify how this meets the criteria of a one-sample t-test. It's okay if this is the same example as last week, as long as you now specify how it is that a t-test would be the appropriate analysis. Some questions you might consider, but don't have to necessarily are as follows: Are the population parameters (mean/standard deviance) unknown values? Where did the hypothesized values come from? Has previous research been conducted in this area, to you knowledge? What might be (or already has been) learned from studying this topic?