Homework Question on Hypothesis Testing
- Discuss the concept of Hypothesis Testing OR Attempts to Generalize research findings.
Homework Answer on Hypothesis Testing
A hypothesis is a hypothetical statement presented by a researcher in the explanation of the characteristic or parameter associated with sample data. In the development of a statistical hypothesis, it is crucial that the hypothesis is testable. This process that uses sample data as the inferential material for population characteristics requires adherence to the central limit theorem, where the sample size has to be large enough (Privitera, 2014).
In the process of hypothesis testing, comparisons are made between two or more data sets to ascertain the validly of either the null or alternative hypothesis. This process involves four specific steps, and the first is the statement of the hypothesis. In hypothesis testing, the null hypothesis is the first to stated and presumed to be true. This statement triggers the onset of the hypothesis test and provides the premise for testing the validity of the value it states.
It is preceded by the statement of the alternative hypothesis, whose basis is the presentation of a contradiction to the null hypothesis. The statement of these two statements presents the opportunity for the next step, setting decision criteria. This step involves the determination of the judgment criteria for decision-making about the null hypothesis’ value. This criterion is known as the level of significance or significance level. While the alternative hypothesis determines the level of this statistic, it is mostly placed a 5% and can be associated with the idea of beyond reasonable doubt in law (Gravetter & Wallnau, 2013; Privitera, 2014)