None of the above. This is not a matched pairs situation.
How to determine the appropriate set of hypotheses
When we perform a matched pairs t-test, we assume that the differences between the before and after measurements are normally distributed.
However, the test p-value is less than 0.05, which means that we can reject the null hypothesis that the data is normally distributed.
So, we cannot use a matched pairs t-test.
Since the data is not normally distributed, we should use a non-parametric test.
Missing information in the question
In order to test the effectiveness of a new drug in reducing cholesterol level, a random sample of 45 patients who have a higher than normal cholesterol level was chosen. The cholesterol level of each of the patients was measured and recorded before and then after taking the new drug for a period of 6 weeks, and the differences (before − after) were calculated.
In this case, which is the appropriate set of hypotheses?
(H o: μd = 0) and (Ha: μd < 0)
(H o: μd = 0) and (Ha: μd > 0)
(H o: μd = 0) and (Ha: μd ≠ 0)
None of the above. This is not a matched pairs situation.