A hypothesis test involves collecting and evaluating data from a sample. The data gathered and evaluated is then used to make a decision as to whether or not the data supports the claim that is made about the population. This unit will teach you how to conduct hypothesis tests and how to identify and differentiate between the errors associated with them.
Many times, you need answers to questions in order to make efficient decisions. For example, a restaurant owner might claim that his restaurant's food costs 30% less than other restaurants in the area, or a phone company might claim that its phones last at least one year more than phones from other companies. In order to decide whether it would be more affordable to eat at the restaurant that "costs 30% less" or another restaurant in the area, or in order to decide which phone company to choose based on the durability of the phone, you will have to collect data to justify these claims. The process of hypothesis testing is a way of decision-making. In this unit, you will learn to establish your assumptions through null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis is the hypothesis that is assumed to be true and the hypothesis you hope to nullify, while the alternative hypothesis is the research hypothesis that you claim to be true. This means that you need to conduct the correct tests to be able to accept or reject the null hypothesis. You will learn how to compare sample characteristics to see whether there is enough data to accept or reject the null hypothesis.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.
First, this section discusses whether rejection of the null hypothesis should be an all-or-none proposition. Then, it discusses how to interpret non-significant results; for example, it explains why the null hypothesis should not be accepted or should be accepted with caution. It also describes how a non-significant result can increase confidence that the null hypothesis is false.
Watch these videos on hypothesis testing.
This section shows how to test the null hypothesis that the population mean is equal to some hypothesized value, using a very concrete example. In this example, all the main elements of hypothesis testing come in to play a role.
This section talks about using the central limit theorem to test a population mean when the sample size is large. It also addresses how to interpret the test results in the application background. Then, it discusses testing a population mean when the sample size is small, outlines a five-step testing procedure, and illustrates the procedure with an example. Study the example carefully and complete the relevant exercises and applications. Finally, it talks about large sample tests for a population proportion. The critical value and p-value approach are introduced based on a standardized test statistic.
This section covers how to test for differences between means from two separate groups of subjects and gives an example of opinions on animal research. The detailed testing procedure is carried out using the standard steps in hypothesis testing.
Watch these videos, which discuss comparing population proportions. While these videos are optional, studying these topics may help you if you are interested in taking the credit-aligned exam that is linked with this course.
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.