Key Concepts
- The null hypothesis is a statement of no change or status quo.
- Symbols used for the null hypothesis are =, ≤ and ≥.
- The alternative hypothesis is sometimes referred to as the research hypothesis; it is what the researcher believes to be true based on the data to be collected.
- Symbols used for the alternative hypothesis are ≠, > and <.
Glossary
Hypothesis: a statement about the value of a population parameter. In the case of two hypotheses, the statement assumed to be true is called the null hypothesis (notation [latex]H_0[/latex]) and the contradictory statement is called the alternative hypothesis (notation [latex]H_a[/latex]).
Hypothesis Testing: Based on sample evidence, a procedure for determining whether the hypothesis stated is a reasonable statement and should not be rejected or is unreasonable and should be rejected.