one sample t test

1 sample t test: a way of comparing a group to a fixed population mean

A one sample t test is used on a single group of scores, called a sample. The mean and standard deviation of the sample are needed to perform the test.

The test returns one of two results: either (a) the sample is not significantly different from the population mean, or (b) the sample is significantly different from the population mean.

For instance, perhaps you have a group of children in a non-traditional learning environment. you have their scores on a reading exam. You might be interested in the following question: are these scores significantly higher than the average acrosst the entire state? To answer this question, you need the class average (called x-bar), the class standard deviation (called s), the number of students in the class (called N), and the mean score across the state (also known as the population mean).