The t-test is used when researchers want to compare the means of two groups to determine if the groups are statistically different from one another. The t-test, in general, is a type of parametric test, which is a test used to make assumptions about the larger population based on data gathered from a sample of that population. It can also be classified as an inferential statistic, as one is trying to “infer” something about the population based on a sample. In other words, in the case of t-tests, researchers use sample data to make claims about the larger population. The t-test statistic has variations in and of itself depending on the nature of the two means the researcher wishes to compare. The three ...