PSY201H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Statistical Significance, Technology In Revelation Space, Statistical Hypothesis Testing
Document Summary
The general goal of a hypothesis test is to rule out chance (sampling error, random, unsystematic factors) as a plausible explanation for the results from a research study. Hypothesis testing is a technique to help determine whether a specific treatment has an effect on the individuals in a population. 2 types: the null hypothesis (h0) no treatment effect, alternative hypothesis (h1): there is a treatment effect. It is assumed that the parameter is known for the population before treatment. The purpose of the experiment is to determine whether or not the treatment has an effect on the population mean. If the individuals in the sample are noticeably different form the individuals in the original population, we have evidence that the treatment has an effect. However, it is also possible that the difference between the sample and the population is simply sampling error.
