Final answer:
Hypothesis testing is a statistical procedure used to make decisions about population parameters based on sample data. The process involves setting up two contradictory hypotheses, collecting sample data, determining the appropriate distribution for the test, analyzing the data by calculating a test statistic, and calculating the p-value.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hypothesis testing is a statistical procedure used to make decisions about population parameters based on sample data. The process involves setting up two contradictory hypotheses, collecting sample data, determining the appropriate distribution for the test, analyzing the data by calculating a test statistic, and calculating the p-value. The null hypothesis represents the assumption being tested, while the alternative hypothesis represents the opposing assumption. The decision about the null hypothesis is made by comparing the calculated test statistic with a critical value or by calculating the p-value.