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Statistics vocabulary · Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis

Meaning in statistics, with examples

/haɪˈpɑːθəsɪs/nounCore term

In statistics, hypothesis means: A clear, testable statement about a relationship or difference that a study sets out to check with data, for example 'sleep loss slows reaction time'.

In Turkish: hipotez, denence

How it is used

Researchers state, formulate, test, support or reject hypotheses. In academic writing, data 'support' a hypothesis; they rarely 'prove' it. Hypotheses are often numbered (H1, H2) in theses and articles.

Example sentences

  1. Our first hypothesis was that remote workers would report higher job satisfaction.

  2. The results support Hypothesis 2 but not Hypothesis 3.

Common collocations

  • test a hypothesis
  • formulate a hypothesis
  • support the hypothesis
  • research hypothesis
  • null hypothesisThe default claim in a statistical test that there is no effect, no difference or no relationship; the test checks whether the data give enough evidence against it.
  • alternative hypothesisThe statement that there is a real effect, difference or relationship; it is the claim a researcher usually expects, and the data support it when they give strong evidence against the null hypothesis.
  • p-valueThe probability of getting a result at least as extreme as the one observed if the null hypothesis were true; a small value means the data would be surprising under the null.
  • reject the null hypothesisTo conclude, after a test, that the data give enough evidence against the null hypothesis, usually because the p-value is below the significance level.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Hypothesis Testing

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