Final answer:
The first step in processing data for a paired differences test is to take the paired differences. The symbol for the sample test statistic is d, which represents the mean of the paired differences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first step in processing data for a paired differences test is to take the paired differences. These are calculated by subtracting one measurement from the other measurement for each pair. The symbol for the sample test statistic in a paired differences test is d, which represents the mean of the paired differences.
For example, if we have the paired differences {0.2, -4.1, -1.6, -1.8, -3.2, -2, -2.9, -9.6}, the sample mean of the differences would be -3.13 (x=-3.13). The value of the sample test statistic is used to determine the significance of the differences and make conclusions about the population mean of the differences.