T-Test for Difference in Means: How to Do It and How to Read Results in SPSS

Doing the T-Test Procedure in SPSS Start SPSS Analyze, Compare Means, Independent Samples T-Test o (Note !Independent Samples T-test means that there are t"o groups, and "e are comparing the means o# the t"o groups$% Ma&e the 'aria(le #or "hich you "ant to compute a mean the !Test )aria(le* Ma&e the 'aria(le that de#ines the t"o groups the !+rouping )aria(le* Clic& !De#ine +roups*, then enter the 'alue that each group has on the !+rouping )aria(le* ,hat to -emem(er The t-test #or the di##erence in means is an hypothesis test that tests the null hypothesis that the means #or (oth groups are e.ual, 'ersus the alternati'e hypothesis that the means are not e.ual (/-tail% or that the mean #or one o# the groups is larger than the mean #or the other group (0-tail%$ To interpret the t-test results, all you need to #ind on the output is the p-'alue #or the test$ To do an hypothesis test at a speci#ic alpha (signi#icance% le'el, 1ust compare the p-'alue on the output (la(eled as a !Sig$* 'alue on the SPSS output% to the chosen alpha le'el$ Alternati'ely, you could 1ust report the p-'alue, rather than reporting "hether the result is statistically signi#icant or not at an ar(itrary alpha le'el(s%$

Note: See the second page of this document to see how to read the SPSS output.

Example SPSS Output for T-Test for Difference in Means

T-Test
Group Statistics :-I+IN Country o# :rigin / ;uropean 3 <apanese N 23 25 Mean /430$45 ///0$/3 Std$ De'iation 456$774 3/6$452 Std$ ;rror Mean 82$484 39$685

,;I+=T )ehicle ,eight (l(s$%

Independent Samples Test ?e'ene@s Test #or ;.uality o# )ariances t-test #or ;.uality o# Means 58B Con#idence Inter'al o# the Di##erence ?o"er Apper 27$39/ 28$556 34/$095 344$840

> ,;I+=T )ehicle ,eight (l(s$% ;.ual 'ariances assumed ;.ual 'ariances not assumed 07$/4/

Sig$ $666

t 3$086 3$066

d# 086 0//$392

Sig$ (/-tailed% $66/ $66/

Mean Di##erence /06$/2 /06$/2

Std$ ;rror Di##erence 99$289 92$73/

How to Read this Output: Note the mean for each of the two groups in the Group Statistics section. This output shows that the average weight for European cars is !"# pounds$ versus # pounds for %apanese cars. To see the resu&ts of the t'test for the difference in the two means$ find the p'va&ue for the test. The p'va&ue is &a(e&ed as Sig. in the S)SS output *Sig. stands for significance &eve&+. To find the correct Sig.$ &oo, in the section of the -ndependent Samp&es Test output &a(e&ed t'test for E.ua&it/ of 0eans and /ou wi&& find a co&umn &a(e&ed Sig. * 'tai&ed+. This is the correct co&umn$ not the co&umn &a(e&ed Sig. in the section of the 1evene2s Test for E.ua&it/ of 3ariances section. 4ina&&/$ read the Sig. va&ue in the second row$ the row &a(e&ed E.ua& variances not assumed. 5e wi&& use the second row since we a&most never have an/ reason to thin, a priori that the amount of variation within each group wi&& (e the same *the p'va&ue in the two rows is usua&&/ a&most the same an/wa/+. -n the a(ove e6amp&e the p'va&ue is .77 $ imp&/ing that the difference in means is statistica&&/ significant at the .#$ .78. and .7# &eve&s. Summar/: To find the p'va&ue for the h/pothesis test for the difference in means$ &oo, in the co&umn &a(e&ed Sig. * 'tai&ed+ in the t'test for E.ua&it/ of 0eans section$ and in the second row *&a(e&ed E.ua& variances not assumed+. Note that since the p'va&ue given (/ S)SS is 'tai&ed$ /ou need to divide it in ha&f for a #'tai&ed test. -n the a(ove e6amp&e the #'tai&ed p'va&ue wou&d (e .77#.