Question

Β is the probability that __________.

a) There will be neither a type I nor a type II error

b) If the research hypothesis is true, the experiment would still fail to support it

c) The research will be able to correctly reject the null hypothesis

d) An α error will not occur

Answer 1

β represents the probability of a Type II error, which is failing to reject a false null hypothesis even when the research hypothesis is true. It is crucial for the power of a test, which is more effective when β is low.

Step-by-step explanation:

β is the probability that if the research hypothesis is true, the experiment would still fail to support it. This is the definition of a Type II error. The probability of a Type II error is denoted by the Greek letter beta, β, and this error occurs when the decision is made not to reject the null hypothesis when, in fact, the null hypothesis is false. Minimizing β is important as it is a measure of an error. The power of a test, which is 1 - β, quantifies the likelihood that a test will correctly reject a false null hypothesis, with a higher power indicating a better chance of detecting an effect when there is one.