What is hypothesis testing?
Hypothesis testing is a statistical method used to determine whether a statement about a population parameter is likely to be true or not. It involves formulating a null hypothesis (a statement of no effect or no difference between groups) and an alternative hypothesis (a statement that there is an effect or difference between groups) and using data to either accept or reject the null hypothesis. The process typically involves selecting a significance level, calculating a test statistic, and comparing it to a critical value or p-value. The results of hypothesis testing can provide evidence for or against a theory or hypothesis about a population.
Hypothesis testing is a statistical method used to make inferences or conclusions about a population based on a sample of data. It involves formulating two competing statements, called the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis, and then testing these hypotheses using statistical evidence.
The null hypothesis (H0) represents the status quo or the assumption that there is no significant difference or relationship between variables. The alternative hypothesis (Ha or H1) is the opposite of the null hypothesis and suggests that there is a significant difference or relationship.
The hypothesis testing process typically involves the following steps:
1. State the null and alternative hypotheses based on the research question.
2. Set a significance level (alpha), which determines the threshold for determining statistical significance.
3. Collect and analyze the sample data.
4. Calculate a test statistic, which measures the strength of the evidence against the null hypothesis.
5. Determine the critical value or p-value associated with the test statistic.
6. Compare the test statistic value to the critical value or p-value to make a decision.
7. If the test statistic value falls in the rejection region (beyond the critical value or p-value is less than the significance level), reject the null hypothesis. If not, fail to reject the null hypothesis.
8. Draw conclusions and interpret the results in the context of the research question.
Hypothesis testing helps researchers make objective decisions about relationships, differences, or effects in the population based on the available sample data. It is widely used in various fields, including social sciences, business, medicine, and engineering.