Quantitative noninvasive techniques are needed for routinely assessing symptoms of peripheral neuropathies, such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). An article reported on a test that involved sensing a tiny gap in an otherwise smooth surface by probing with a finger; this functionally resembles many work-related tactile activities, such as detecting scratches or surface defects. When finger probing was not allowed, the sample average gap detection threshold for m = 8 normal subjects was 1.67 mm, and the sample standard deviation was 0.59; for n = 10 CTS subjects, the sample mean and sample standard deviation were 2.57 and 0.8, respectively. Does this data suggest that the true average gap detection threshold for CTS subjects exceeds that for normal subjects?
State and test the relevant hypotheses using a significance level of .01. (Give answers accurate to 2 decimal places.)
t = ?