CJ 161

Spring '01

Steps in hypothesis testing

With an example using the Z test for sample vs. population

• Making assumptions

  • Level of measurement: _________________
    
  • Model
    • Random sampling:Y     N      (if N stop)
      
    • State null Hypothesis (Here: p = .713; sample=pop)

• Obtain sampling distribution (We will use approximately normal, since N is relatively large)
  

• Selections
  • Significance level(p < .05? ; p < .01? p < .001?)
    
  • One tailed test or two tailed?
  
  
• Compute the test statistic
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Make a decision

  • Consult statistical table
    
  • Obtain your critical value
    
  • Is observed more or less extreme than the cutoff (critical) value
    
  • So are you able or unable to reject the null hypothesis (here: null hypothesis is that there is no difference between the population and the sample)
    
  • MOST IMPORTANT: translate rejecting/failing to reject the null hypothesis BACK INTO THE TERMS OF THE PROBLEM - what does it mean in the PROBLEM CONTEXT