Explain how we use t as an inferential statistic.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In using t as an inferential statistic, we follow the same procedure covered in Chapter 8 for the z-test: We will calculate the t score for our sample and then consider where that t score falls in the distribution of t scores for the distribution of sample means when the null hypothesis is true. We will find the critical region(s) that denote the most extreme scores in the distribution. However, because the t distribution is a slightly different shape from the normal distribution, the p values will be different and we must now use the t Table instead of the unit normal table. You will find a t Table in Appendix C of this text. As we begin to use the t Table in the next section to conduct a one-sample t-test, you will see that the table has a different structure from the Unit Normal Table. Instead of looking up a p value in the table, we will be looking up the t score(s) that borders the critical region(s) and comparing it to our calculated t score for our sample.