Introduction
Hypothesis testing is a procedure used to test a claim made about a population. It is an important tool used in the field of statistics to draw conclusions about a population based on sample data. Hypothesis testing is usually done with the help of a specific test called the null hypothesis. The null hypothesis postulates that there is no relationship between two variables or no effect of one variable on the other. The alternate hypothesis is the opposite of the null hypothesis. In a hypothesis test, the researcher forms a conjecture about a population and collects data from an experiment or a survey. The data is then used to either accept or reject the conjecture.
Purpose
The purpose of Hypothesis testing is to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the variables in question, or an effect of one variable on the other. When two variables are related in some way, a relationship can be inferred from the data. Hypothesis testing helps to investigate relationships between variables by testing the validity of the null hypothesis and determining if it should be accepted or rejected.
Types of Tests
There are two main types of tests used in hypothesis testing: parametric tests and non-parametric tests. Parametric tests are used when the data follows a particular distribution, such as the normal distribution. Examples of parametric tests include t-tests, chi-square tests and ANOVA. Non-parametric tests can be used when the data does not follow any particular distribution, such as the Binomial Distribution. Examples of non-parametric tests include Wilcoxon signed rank tests and Mann-Whitney U tests.
Analysis
When conducting hypothesis testing, the researcher starts with a question or a problem in mind. The researcher then forms a hypothesis about the population, based on the data collected in an experiment or survey. The data is then analyzed to compare variances or relationships between the two variables. If the null hypothesis is rejected, then the alternate hypothesis is accepted as true. However, if the null hypothesis is accepted, then the alternate hypothesis is rejected as false.
Conclusion
Hypothesis testing is an important tool used in the field of statistics to draw conclusions about a population based on sample data. By comparing variances or relationships between two variables, researchers can infer if there is a significant relationship between the two variables, or an effect of one variable on the other. There are two main types of tests used in hypothesis testing: parametric tests and non-parametric tests. Whether the null hypothesis is accepted or rejected depends on the results of the data analysis.