Question

An intervention is given to try to improve sales at local stores. The intervention does nothing. When samples of data are collected, slight differences are observed between the stores. This is a case of:

a. The null hypothesis

b. The alternative hypothesis

c. The research hypothesis

d. The placebo effect

Answer 1

In inferential statistics, the null hypothesis is a general statement or default position that there is nothing significantly different happening, like there is no association among groups or variables, or that there is no relationship between two measured phenomena.

While in statistical hypothesis testing, the alternative hypothesis is a proposition that states something is happening, a new theory is true instead of an old one.

A research hypothesis is a specific, clear, and testable proposition or predictive statement about the possible outcome of a scientific research study based on a particular property of a population, such as presumed differences between groups on a particular variable or relationships between variables.

The placebo effect is defined as a phenomenon in which some people experience a benefit after the administration of an inactive substance or sham treatment.

In our case the null hypothesis has already been stated as "The intervention does nothing" hence option a is incorrect

But when data was collected and analysed there appeared to be slight differences between the stores.

Since the research hypothesis is a clear statement about the predictive outcome of a study hence option c is incorrect.

Since there appeared to be differences hence we are deviating from our original null hypothesis that stated that the intervention does nothing hence this is a case of alternate hypothesis therefore the answer is option b