In: Statistics and Probability
In your own words, what do you think a hypothesis test is and why? Please elaborate
Hypothesis testing is an act in statistics where one tests an assumption regarding a population parameter.
A hypothesis test evaluates two mutually exclusive statements about a population to determine which statement is best supported by the sample data.
Hypothesis testing is used to assess the plausibility of a hypothesis by using sample data. Such data may come from a larger population, or from a data-generating process.
We can test a hypothesis by measuring and examining a random sample of the population being analyzed. We can use a random population sample to test two different hypotheses: the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.
The null hypothesis is usually a hypothesis of equality between population parameters; e.g., a null hypothesis may state that the population mean return is equal to zero. The alternative hypothesis is effectively the opposite of a null hypothesis; e.g., the population mean return is not equal to zero. Thus, they are mutually exclusive, and only one can be true. However, one of the two hypotheses will always be true.