Question

What statement below is consistent with making a Type II error?

a) Rejecting a true null hypothesis
b) Failing to reject a false null hypothesis
c) Accepting a true null hypothesis
d) Accepting a false null hypothesis

Answer 1

A Type II error is when a false null hypothesis is not rejected; in the provided statements, choice (b) represents a Type II error.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is consistent with making a Type II error is (b) Failing to reject a false null hypothesis. In the context of hypothesis testing, a Type II error occurs when the decision is made not to reject the null hypothesis even though it is actually false. This is in contrast to a Type I error, where the decision is to reject a true null hypothesis. For instance, if a pharmaceutical company is testing a new drug and the null hypothesis is that the drug is unsafe, a Type II error would be not to conclude the drug is unsafe when, in fact, it is unsafe.