From the Research
To present paired t-test results in an APA-style table, create a clear table with a descriptive title above the table that briefly explains the analysis, including columns for means and standard deviations for each condition, the mean difference, t-value, degrees of freedom, p-value, and effect size, as recommended by recent studies 1, 2, 3. When presenting paired t-test results, it is essential to include the following elements in the table:
- Means and standard deviations for each condition (pre and post)
- Mean difference
- t-value
- Degrees of freedom
- p-value
- Effect size (typically Cohen's d) The table should have a descriptive title that briefly explains the analysis, and the column headers should be clear and concise. The table body should list each variable in separate rows, providing the numerical values for all statistics, with proper decimal alignment, typically with two decimal places for most values. Notes below the table can be used to explain any abbreviations or provide additional context, ensuring the table is self-explanatory, with sufficient information for readers to understand the results without referring to the text, as suggested by 4. Including confidence intervals for the mean differences strengthens the presentation by showing the precision of the estimates, and the p-values should be reported exactly (e.g., p = .024) unless they are very small, in which case use p < .001. The most recent and highest quality study 1 provides guidance on calculating effect sizes for paired data, recommending the use of the change score variability rather than the pre-test variability. Overall, the format of the table should allow readers to quickly grasp the statistical significance and practical importance of the findings.