# How to compare mean distance traveled by two groups?

I have two independent groups who travel with different modes. I want to compare the distance traveled (which is a continuous variable) by different modes for these two groups. How do I compare them in SPSS? My sample size is small: each group has only 32 observations.

Sorry, I am a newbie in stats. Here is the actual question. I collected travel distance and the choice of travel mode in two different locations.

There are 32 people in each location with 6 different modes. Each person can choose one mode and give the travel distance.

My query is, how should I compare to see if the travel distances of these two groups are significantly different?

If it were categorical data, I could use chi square, but does the t-test work here?

I believe the t-test is to compare two groups with one mean in each group, but I have 6 $\times$ 2 separate mean values (one for the each mode and two locations). I hope I have made it clear now.

Thanks

• Your question title asks about "multiple" DVs, but I don't see anything like that in the question itself. Do you have just 1 DV (distance traveled), or are there others as well? – gung - Reinstate Monica Feb 9 '13 at 15:05
• If you know that you want to use a t-test and are only asking how to conduct it with particular non-R software, then the question doesn't fit well with this site. – rolando2 Feb 9 '13 at 16:37
• Distance travelled is unlikely to be well approximated by a normal distribution; it's likely to be highly right-skew. In that circumstance you might want to consider something other than a t-test. – Glen_b -Reinstate Monica May 22 '13 at 22:11