In: Statistics and Probability
Based on the results of a correctly computed statistical analysis, a researcher concluded that a new behavioral intervention helps individuals with a particular type of emotional disturbance compared to the standard treatment. In reality, the intervention truly is not effective in the population.
This suggests:
a Type II error occurred
a Type I error occurred
no statistical errors occurred
researchers should implement the intervention
Answer: a Type I error occurred.
>> In statistical hypothesis testing, a type I error is the rejection of a true null hypothesis. The null hypothesis in this problem is that the new behavioral intervention does not help individuals with the particular type of emotional disturbance compared to the standard treatment and the alternative hypothesis is that the new behavioral intervention helps. Thus, there is a Type I error since we conclude that the new behavioral intervention helps individuals with the particular type of emotional disturbance compared to the standard treatment, but in reality, it is not.