Introduction to Hypothesis- Prepared by:

Testing Jhunar John M. Tauy, RPm

 Hypothesis-
Testing
• a statistical method that uses sample
data to evaluate hypothesis about a
population
• procedure for whether the outcome
of a study (results for a sample)
supports a particular theory or
practical innovation (which is thought
to apply to a population)
 Hypothesis
• prediction, often based on
informal observation, previous
research, or theory, that is tested
in a research study
 Theory

• set of principles that attempt to

explain one or more facts,
relationships, or events.
 A large research project has been going on for
several years. In this project, new babies are given
a particular vitamin, and then the research team
follows their development during the first 2 years
Hypothesis- of life. So far, the vitamin has not speeded up the
development of the babies. The mean is 14
Testing months (Mean = 14), the standard deviation is 3
Example months (SD = 3), and the ages follow a normal
curve. Based on the normal curve percentages,
you can figure that only about 2% of babies start
walking before 8 months of age; these are the
babies who are more than 2 standard deviations
below the mean.
Hypothesis-Testing Example
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
1. State the Hypothesis. Restate
the research question as a Null
Hypothesis and an Alternative
Hypothesis about the Populations
Population 1: Babies who took the
purified vitamins.
Population 2: Babies in general
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
Null Hypothesis (H0)
• states that, in the general
population, there is no change,
no difference, or no relationship
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
Alternative Hypothesis (H1)
• states that there is a change, a
difference, or a relationship for
the general population
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process

2. Set the Criteria for a Decision. Find

the boundaries that separate the
high-probability samples from the low
probability samples.
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
Level of Significance (α)
• also known as alpha level, is a
probability value that is used to define
the concept of “very unlikely” in a
hypothesis test
• α = 0.05, α = 0.01
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
3. Determine the Characteristics of the
Comparison Distribution and the Cutoff
Sample Score.
Comparison Distribution – distribution
used in hypothesis-testing which
represents the population situation if the
null hypothesis is true.
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
3. Determine the Characteristics of the
Comparison Distribution and the Cutoff
Sample Score.
Cutoff Sample Score – or critical value,
refers to the point in hypothesis- testing,
on the comparison distribution, at which,
if reached or exceeded by the sample
score, you reject the H0.
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
3. Determine the Characteristics of the
Comparison Distribution and the Cutoff
Sample Score.
Critical Region – composed of the
extreme sample scores/values that are
very unlikely to be obtained if the null
hypothesis is true.
Hypothesis-Testing Example
 Hypothesis-
Testing Process
4. Collect data and compute
sample statistics. Indicate the
statistical treatment that is
being utilized
5. Make a Decision. Whether
Reject the H0 or Fail to Reject
the H0
Hypothesis-Testing Example
 Statistical
Significance

• a result is said to be significant or

statistically significant if it is very
unlikely to occur when the null
hypothesis is true
 Hypothesis-Testing Practice Problem
A training program to increase friendliness is tried on one
individual randomly selected from the general public.
Among the general public (who do not get this training
program), the mean on the friendliness measure is 30 with
a standard deviation of 4. The researchers want to test
their hypothesis at the 5% significance level. After going
through the training program, this individual takes the
friendliness measure and gets a score of 40. What should
the researchers conclude?
 One-Tailed and
Two-Tailed
Hypothesis Test
Directional Hypothesis
• research hypothesis predicting a
particular direction of difference
between populations
• Directional Hypothesis Test – also known
as one-tailed test, is a situation in which
the region of the comparison distribution
in which the H0 would be rejected is all on
one side (tail) of the distribution
 One-Tailed and
Two-Tailed
Hypothesis Test
Nondirectional Hypothesis
• research hypothesis that does not
predict a particular direction of
difference between the population
• two-tailed test – situation in which the
region of the comparison distribution in
which the Ho would be rejected is divided
in two sides (tails) of the distribution
Determining the Cutoff Scores with Two-
Tailed Test
Determining the Cutoff Scores with Two-
Tailed Test
When To Use One-Tailed or Two-Tailed
Test
 Two-Tailed Test Example
A researcher predicts that making people hungry will
affect how well they do on a coordination test. A randomly
selected person is asked not to eat for 24 hours before
taking a standard coordination test and gets a score of
400. For people in general of this age group and gender,
tested under normal conditions, coordination scores are
normally distributed with a mean of 500 and a standard
deviation of 40. Using the .01 significance level, what
should the researcher conclude?
 Reporting the
Results of the
Statistical Test
Making people hungry did
not have a significant
effect on the scores in a
coordination test, z = 2.50,
p > .05.
 Reporting the
Results of the
Statistical Test

Wearing a red shirt had a

significant effect on the size of
the tips left by male
customers, z = 2.40, p < .05.
 Reporting the
Results of the
Statistical Test

The red shirt did not have a

significant effect on the size of
the tips left by male
customers, z = 0.75, p > .05.
 Conventional
Level of
Significance
p < .05
p < .01
levels of significance widely
used in psychology
 Statistical
Significance on
Tables

* - significant at 0.05 level

** - significant at 0.01 level
*** - significant at 0.001 level
Hypothesis-Testing Example
A psychologist is working with people who have had a particular
type of major surgery. This psychologist proposes that people
will recover from the operation more quickly if friends and
family are in the room with them for the first 48 hours after the
operation. It is known that time to recover from this kind of
surgery is normally distributed with a mean of 12 days and a
standard deviation. of 5 days. The procedure of having friends
and family in the room for the period after the surgery is tried
with a randomly selected patient. This patient recovers in 18
days.