ERIC Number: EJ1148800
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Aug
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1644
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Hypothesis Testing in the Real World
Miller, Jeff
Educational and Psychological Measurement, v77 n4 p663-672 Aug 2017
Critics of null hypothesis significance testing suggest that (a) its basic logic is invalid and (b) it addresses a question that is of no interest. In contrast to (a), I argue that the underlying logic of hypothesis testing is actually extremely straightforward and compelling. To substantiate that, I present examples showing that hypothesis testing logic is routinely used in everyday life. These same examples also refute (b) by showing circumstances in which the logic of hypothesis testing addresses a question of prime interest. Null hypothesis significance testing may sometimes be misunderstood or misapplied, but these problems should be addressed by improved education.
Descriptors: Hypothesis Testing, Testing Problems, Test Validity, Relevance (Education), Misconceptions, Criticism, Logical Thinking, Heuristics
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A