8.3.3 - Minitab: Paired Means Test

The steps for constructing a confidence interval or conducting a paired means \(t\) in Minitab are identical. The output that the procedure provides includes both the confidence interval and the \(p\)-value for determining statistical significance.

Minitab 18

Minitab®  – Conducting a Paired Means Test

Let's compare students' SAT-Math scores to their SAT-Verbal scores.  

  1. Open the Minitab file: class_survey.mpx
  2. Select Stat > Basic Statistics > Paired t
  3. Select Each sample is in a column since we have the data in the worksheet
  4. Double click the variable SATM in the box on the left to insert the variable into the Sample 1 box
  5. Double click the variable SATV in the box on the left to insert the variable into the Sample 2 box
  6. Click OK

This should result in the following output:

Paired t: SATM, SATV

Descriptive Statistics
Sample N Mean StDev SE Mean
SATM 215 599.81 84.70 5.78
SATV 215 580.33 82.44 5.62
Estimation for Paired Difference
Mean StDev SE Mean 95% CI for \(\mu_d\)
19.49 89.81 6.12 (7.42, 31.56)

\(\mu\)_difference: population mean of (SATM - SATV)

Test
Null hypothesis H0: \(\mu\)_difference = 0
Alternative hypothesis H1: \(\mu\)_difference ≠ 0
T-Value P-Value
3.18 0.002

On the next page, the five-step hypothesis testing procedure is used to interpret this output.