Question

Make comparisons between means and proportions regarding hypothesis tests. What are the differences? What are the similarities?

Answer 1

Hypothesis tests are normally done for one and two samples. For one sample, researchers are often interested in whether a population characteristic such as the mean is equivalent to a certain value. For two samples, they may be interested in whether the true means are different. Statistical hypothesis tests depend on a statistic designed to measure the degree of evidence for various alternative hypotheses. The process of hypothesis testing consists of following procedure:

1. Making a statement of population.
2. Sampling from population and analysing the sample data.
3. While recognizing that some divergence between sample and population characteristics may be expected since sample is only a subset of the proportion to determine whether the difference between what is observed and statement made could have been due to chance alone and hence insignificant or they are significant casting a doubt on statement made.

Logic of hypothesis testing:
1. Assume the Null Hypothesis (H0) is true
2. Calculate the probability (p) of getting the results observed in your data if the Null Hypothesis were true
3. If that probability is low (< .05) then reject the Null Hypothesis
4. If researcher reject the Null Hypothesis, that leaves only the Research Hypothesis (H1)