Are you looking for the most complete information about the null and alternative hypotheses? Good news! You came to the right place. In this post we will tell you about the definition, where the hypothesis is obtained from, what its objectives and characteristics are, and in what academic papers you can use it. In addition, we are going to give you practical examples of null and alternative hypotheses.
What is the hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a statement or proposition that is considered true from the outset, even though it has not yet been verified. This causes it to be built on the basis of a conjecture or a working speculation, lacking refutation or confirmation through experience.
The term originates from the Greek hypo, which means “below”, and thesis, which means. “opinion” or “conclusion”.
The hypothesis serves as the first step in the investigation, even if it is raised with less or more real data. It will seek to demonstrate the theory or refute it, through sustained arguments or empirical evidence, this will depend on whether it is a qualitative or quantitative investigation.
In other words, a hypothesis is a provisional theory, since, if it can be proven, it becomes a proven or verified statement.
What are the null and alternative hypotheses?
This theory arises as a result of a certain investigation carried out on a sample or a population.
In other words, the alternative hypothesis supports the conclusion that the researcher wants to affirm or demonstrate from his study, and in his main hypothesis. This theory is identified with the expression “H1”, and generally represents the opposite of the null hypothesis, which is represented with the expression “H0”.
The alternative hypothesis is a conjecture that tries to prove the falsity of the null hypothesis, formulated in an investigation and/or an experiment. The opposite of the null hypothesis is the scientific method, since it tries to demonstrate the opposite of the alternative hypothesis, exposing that it is not true.
Where do you get the alternative and null hypothesis?
The alternative hypothesis is the alternative assumption to the null hypothesis, which is formulated as a consequence of an investigation or an experiment.
It is the result of a determined investigation on a sample or a fragment of the population.
Example of the test of the null and alternative hypothesis
Next, we will give you an example so that you better understand how to make and apply the null and alternative hypotheses.
Let’s assume that you have carried out a study on the average monthly salary in a neighborhood of the city. Let’s imagine that from the population of that neighborhood you took the trouble to survey 1,000 people, reaching the conclusion that the average monthly salary per inhabitant is 25,000 monetary units.
Therefore, as a researcher you want to check if that average monthly salary is equal to CU25,000. This would be the conclusion of your study and, therefore, also the alternative hypothesis. If, on the other hand, the average monthly salary is different from CU25,000, this would be a conclusion contrary to that of the study that seeks to deny and, therefore, it is a null hypothesis.
Next, we show you the contrast to perform:
- H0: The average monthly salary is different from CU25,000.
- H1: The monthly salary is equal to CU25,000.
As we can see, the alternative hypothesis, that is, H1, is the conclusion reached by the researcher. In order to demonstrate it, you as a researcher will want to prove that the opposite of your alternative hypothesis is not true (null hypothesis, H0).
In conclusion, it can be deduced that the statement of the alternative hypothesis is the one that will coincide with the statement of the null hypothesis.
Conclusion of the test of the example of the alternative hypothesis
In the event that the hypothesis has been rejected, the following statement can be used: “as shown in the data and after the result obtained through the contrast of the hypothesis carried out, sufficient evidence is established to be able to repel the null hypothesis.” ”.
The conclusion would be that the average monthly salary is equal to CU25,000. On the contrary, if you have not been able to reject the hypothesis of the contrast carried out, you could use the following statement: “as demonstrated in the data and after the result obtained by means of the hypothesis contrast carried out, there is not enough evidence to repel the null hypothesis”.
In this case, the conclusion would be that the average monthly salary is not equal to CU25,000.
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