When we identify a nonsignificant finding, p relates to alpha in the following way:
b. p is less than or equal to alpha.
Step-by-step explanation:
In hypothesis testing, a p-value is the probability of obtaining a test statistic as extreme or more extreme than the one observed, assuming the null hypothesis is true. On the other hand, alpha is the level of significance or the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true.
The common convention is to set the level of significance at 0.05 or 0.01, which means that if the p-value is less than alpha, we reject the null hypothesis. On the other hand, if the p-value is greater than alpha, we fail to reject the null hypothesis.
Therefore, when we identify a nonsignificant finding, it means that the p-value is greater than the alpha, and we fail to reject the null hypothesis. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.