Final answer:
The alternative hypothesis is used as a vehicle to establish statistical significance.
The answer is option ⇒b
Step-by-step explanation:
he alternative hypothesis is a claim about the population that contradicts the null hypothesis. It is used in hypothesis testing to explore if there is enough evidence to support this alternative claim. However, it's important to understand that hypothesis testing is based on probability and does not provide absolute certainty.
Here are some key points to support this explanation:
- 1. Null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis: In hypothesis testing, the null hypothesis (H₀) represents the default assumption, while the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is a claim that contradicts the null hypothesis. The alternative hypothesis is what the researcher wants to find evidence for.
- 2. Statistical significance: Hypothesis testing aims to determine if there is enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative hypothesis. If the observed data is unlikely to occur if the null hypothesis is true, then we reject the null hypothesis and say that the result is statistically significant. This suggests that there is enough evidence to support the alternative hypothesis.
- 3. Probability and uncertainty: Hypothesis testing is based on probability laws and does not provide absolute certainty. The results of hypothesis tests are interpreted in terms of probabilities. For example, a p-value is calculated, which measures the probability of obtaining the observed data under the assumption that the null hypothesis is true. If the p-value is below a predetermined threshold (commonly 0.05), it is considered statistically significant. However, it is important to note that this is not a guarantee, but rather an indication of strong evidence against the null hypothesis.
The answer is option ⇒b) Statistical significance