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Pooled t-test p-value for weekend versus weekday spending

Question

A researcher samples 2020 weekend shoppers (mean spend $78, standard deviation $22) and, independently, 2020 weekday shoppers (mean $67, standard deviation $20). Assuming normal spending with equal variances, find the two-sided p-value for testing whether the mean spends differ, to three significant figures.

Short answer

0.1060.106. The pooled standard deviation is (222+202)/2≈21.02\sqrt{(22^2+20^2)/2}\approx21.02, so t=1121.020.1≈1.655t=\dfrac{11}{21.02\sqrt{0.1}}\approx1.655 on 3838 degrees of freedom. Doubling the upper tail gives about 0.1060.106, not significant at 5%5\%.

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