Question

What are the two types of error committed in making a decision about a statistical hypothesis. According to you which of the two errors is better. Use an example to illustrate your point. Remember to comment on at least two other posts

Answer 1

The two types of errors in hypothesis testing are

1) Type 1 error which occurs when we incorrectly reject the null hypothesis i.e. we reject Ho when it is actually true.

2) Type 2 error. This error occurs when we incorrectly accept the null hypothesis i.e. we accept Ho when it is actually false.

Of these, type 2 error is considered better than the other in most situations. For example, for a person under trial for theft, where the null hypothesis is that the person is not guilty, type 1 error will occur if the person is found guilty of the crime he did not commit which is more serious than the type 2 error which will occur if the person is found not guilty after committing the crime.