AP Statistics : How to establish a null hypothesis

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Statistics

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Significance Logic And Establishing Hypotheses

A study would like to determine whether meditation helps students improve focus time. They used a control group of 30 students and compared their focus time to a group of 30 meditating students and compared their average time spent meditating. What is the appropriate null hypothesis for this study?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Because we are comparing two samples, the hypothesis takes the form of Mu1- Mu2. Because we are testing the claim that meditation increases average study time, the null hypothesis must cover all other outcomes. That means the null hypothesis is that the difference between control minus meditation is greater than or equal to zero. 

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