Explore BrainMass

General Process of Hypothesis Testing for Stats Students


What is hypothesis testing?

Explain the general process and the steps included in conducting a hypothesis test?

What is the difference between parametric and nonparametric hypothesis testing?

I'm looking for 3-4 paragraphs explaining these questions. If you can include one or two cited references, that would be helpful for understanding.

© BrainMass Inc. brainmass.com March 22, 2019, 12:27 am ad1c9bdddf

Solution Preview

Hi there,

Hypothesis testing is a process used to test a statistical hypothesis. For example, a researcher may ask the question (hypothesize) that children aged 10 in Canada watch more television per day compared to children aged 10 in France. To determine if this hypothesis is true, the researcher must use hypothesis testing. There are usually four components to hypothesis testing:

1. Formulate the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis (also denoted as Ho) states that there will be no difference between the groups being compared. For the previous example, the null hypothesis would be there is no difference in the amount of television watched per day amongst 10 year old children from Canada compared to that watched per day by 10 year old children in France. The statistical method always assumes the null hypothesis to be true until it is proven false.

The ...

Solution Summary

This response, composed of over 550 words, outlines the process of hypothesis testing and its impotance in the field of statistics. References to external sources are provided. Emphasis is placed on the steps in conducting a hypothesis test and the differences between parametric and nonparametric hypothesis testing.