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What do we mean by statistical significance

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A p-value, or probability value, is a number describing how likely it is that your data would have occurred by random chance i. The level of statistical significance is often expressed as a p -value between 0 and 1. The smaller the p-value, the stronger the evidence that you should reject the null hypothesis. The p -value is conditional upon the null hypothesis being true, but is unrelated to the truth or falsity of the alternative hypothesis.

The 6th edition of the APA style manual American Psychological Association, states the following on the topic of reporting p-values:. A lower p -value is sometimes interpreted as meaning there is a stronger relationship between two variables.

Consider these two important factors. Sampling Error. Probability; never certainty. Statistics is about managing risk. Can we live with a percent likelihood that our decision is wrong?

A 5-percent likelihood? The answer depends on context: what does it cost to increase the probability of making the right choice, and what is the consequence or potential consequence of making the wrong choice?

It could just as easily be overkill, or it could expose you to far more risk than you can afford. It indicates the probability of observing the difference if no difference exists. The p-value from our example, 0. Financial Analysis How to Value a Company. What Is Statistical Significance? Key takeaways Statistical significance refers to the claim that a result from data generated by testing or experimentation is likely to be attributable to a specific cause.

If a statistic has high significance then it's considered more reliable. The calculation of statistical significance is subject to a certain degree of error. Statistical significance can be misinterpreted when researchers do not use language carefully in reporting their results.

Article Sources. Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy. Compare Accounts. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation.

This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace. Statistics is the collection, description, analysis, and inference of conclusions from quantitative data.

Alpha Risk Definition Alpha risk is the risk in a statistical test of rejecting a null hypothesis when it is actually true. What P-Value Tells Us P-value is the level of marginal significance within a statistical hypothesis test, representing the probability of the occurrence of a given event. T-Test Definition A t-test is a type of inferential statistic used to determine if there is a significant difference between the means of two groups, which may be related in certain features.

Statistical Significance Definition Statistical significance is a determination that a relationship between two or more variables is caused by something other than chance. Null Hypothesis Definition A null hypothesis is a type of hypothesis used in statistics that proposes that no statistical significance exists in a set of given observations. Partner Links. When creating a study, the researcher has to start with a hypothesis; that is, they must have some idea of what they think the outcome may be.

We will use the example of a new medication to lower blood pressure. The researcher hypothesizes that the new medication lowers systolic blood pressure by at least 10 mmHg compared to not taking the new medication.

The hypothesis can be then stated, "Taking the new medication will lower systolic blood pressure by at least 10 mmHg compared to not taking the medication. They can only try to disprove a specific hypothesis. The researcher must then formulate a question they can disprove while coming to their conclusion that the new medication lowers systolic blood pressure. The hypothesis, to be disproven, is the null hypothesis and typically the inverse statement of the hypothesis.

Thus, the null hypothesis for our researcher would be, "Taking the new medication will not lower systolic blood pressure by at least 10 mmHg compared to not taking the new medication. The researcher must then settle for some level of confidence or the significance level for which they do want to be correct. The significance level is given the Greek letter alpha and specified as the probability the researcher is willing to be incorrect.


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