A null hypothesis is a statement that proposes that there is no relationship between two variables, or that there is no difference between two groups or treatments. It is a starting point for a statistical test and is typically denoted as H0. The null hypothesis is tested against an alternate hypothesis, which is a statement that proposes that there is a relationship or difference between the variables or groups being studied.
NULL ALTERNATE HYPOTHESIS |
The null hypothesis is typically the default assumption, meaning that it is assumed to be true unless there is sufficient evidence to reject it. In order to reject the null hypothesis, a statistical test must show that the probability of observing the results obtained in the study, given that the null hypothesis is true, is very low. This probability is known as the p-value. If the p-value is below a predetermined threshold, typically 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected in favor of the alternate hypothesis.
The alternate hypothesis is often used to describe the research question or the expected relationship or difference between the variables or groups being studied. It is denoted as H1 or Ha. The alternate hypothesis is usually the opposite of the null hypothesis and proposes that there is a relationship or difference between the variables or groups being studied.
For example, in a study examining the relationship between physical activity and weight loss, the null hypothesis might be that there is no relationship between physical activity and weight loss. The alternate hypothesis might be that there is a positive relationship between physical activity and weight loss, meaning that people who engage in more physical activity are more likely to lose weight.
It is important to note that the null hypothesis is not necessarily false, and it is not necessarily the case that the alternate hypothesis is true. The goal of a statistical test is to determine whether the null hypothesis can be rejected based on the data collected in the study. If the null hypothesis is rejected, it does not necessarily mean that the alternate hypothesis is true, but rather that there is sufficient evidence to support the alternate hypothesis.
In conclusion, the null hypothesis is a statement that proposes that there is no relationship or difference between two variables or groups, while the alternate hypothesis is a statement that proposes the opposite, that there is a relationship or difference. The null hypothesis is tested against the alternate hypothesis in a statistical test, with the goal of determining whether the null hypothesis can be rejected based on the data collected in the study. It is important to note that the null hypothesis is not necessarily false and the alternate hypothesis is not necessarily true, but rather that there is sufficient evidence to support the alternate hypothesis.
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