Question

What is the null hypothesis, and what is one of its important purposes? How does it differ from the research hypothesis?

Answer 1

1) A null hypothesis is a type of hypothesis used in inferential statistics, that proposes that there is no difference between certan characters of one or more populations or data generating process.

2) The main purpose of using the null hypothesis is the fact that it is quite difficult, and often impractical and impossible to prove that something is true; wheras it is quite easy to disprove the alternative. So, the main objective of considering the null hypothesis is to see whether we have, or have not enough evidence to reject it.

So, the main purpose of using the null hypothesis is to find whether we can or cannot reject it, when another alternative hypothesis, which we actually want to test, is given.

3) The main difference between the null hypothesis and the research hypothesis is the fact that the null hypothesis states that the results are due to chance, and not due to some significance in theory; wheras the research hypothesis states that the results are due to a significant effect, and not due to chance.