The use of the t-teste in language studies
The use of the t-teste in language studies

Summary/Abstract: To test the validity of a hypothesis or inference, researchers need to go beyond simply describing different groups of data. For example, while the calculation of class averages on a test for two different groups of students may describe their respective performance, it provides little insight into the significance of the differences between the two groups. Describing group averages without comparing the differences between them is much like going through the labors of baking a cake and leaving it to sit uneaten. The product of the labor may be a success, yet no one knows for sure since it is left untasted. Alternatively, suppose that two groups of students have respective group averages of 81% and 78%. This may at first glance appear to be an insignificant difference, but a further analysis of the data with an inferential statistical test may reveal that there is a statistically significant difference in the performance of the two groups.

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