A researcher is interested in investigating the difference i

A researcher is interested in investigating the difference in attitude towards foreigners between those who have a high scholl education or less, and those who have more than high scholl education. Which of the following experimental designs should the researcher choose?

a) one sample t test

b) paired samples t test

c) independent samples t test

d) multiple regression

e) all of the above

Solution

the researcher should choose option C) independent samples t test.

let u1 be the mean of the variable measuring the attitude towards foreigners for those who have high school education or less and u2 be the same for those who have more than high school education.

he wants to test whether u1-u2=0 or not.

so to test this the researcher should select two random samples independently , one from the persons who have high school education or less and another from the persons who have more than high school education.

so one sample t test can not be done.

paired samples t test can not be done also as here the samples are not related. they are independent, because the attitude of a person who have high school education or less is not affected by the attitude of a person who have more than high school education.

hence the correct option is independent samples t test. [ multiple regression is not applicable at all]