Research Methods: Probability & Significance Flashcards
When interpreting a statistical test. Where is the critical value found?
In the table provided
What is the conventional level of significance in psychology?
0.05/5%
To identify the critical value what do we need to know?
One or two tailed test
Number of participants (N) or Degrees of freedom (df)
Significance level
In the sign test the calculated value is the ….
least frequent sign
If the research is not significant which hypothesis do you accept and reject?
Accept the null hypothesis and reject the alternative hypothesis
If the research is significant which hypothesis do you accept and reject?
Accept the alternative hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis
If a researcher uses a lenient p-value. Which error may they make?
Type one error
If a researcher uses a strict p-value. Which error may they make?
Type two error
What may the researcher think if they make a type one error?
Think the results are significant when they are not
What may the researcher think if they make a type two error?
Think the results are not significant when they are
In a type one error which hypothesis does a researcher wrongly accept and reject?
Wrongly accept the alternative hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis
In a type two error which hypothesis does a researcher wrongly accept and reject?
Wrongly accept the null hypothesis and reject the alternative hypothesis
How do you check for a type one error?
Go to a stricter level of significance. If it stays significant there is no error. if it becomes not significant there is an error
How do you check for a type two error?
Go to a lenient level of significance. If it stays not significant there is no error. if it becomes significant there is an error
Which significance level strikes the balance between making a type one or type two error?
0.05/5%
The researcher conducted one-tailed test, with 1 degree of freedom with a level of significance of 5%. The calculated value was 3.98. Explain if the research is significant and which hypothesis is accepted?
Significant
Calculated value of 3.98 was greater than the critical value of 3.84.
The alternative hypothesis was accepted and the null hypothesis rejected.
The researcher used a one tailed test, the significance level is 2.5% and the sample size was 37. Explain if the research is significant when the calculated value was 90.
Not significant
The calculated value of 90 is not less than the critical value of 87, so not significant.
The null hypothesis is accepted and alternative hypothesis rejected.
The sample size was 18 and the significance level was 5% using a non-directional hypothesis. The calculated value was -0.472. Explain whether the research is significant.
Significant
The calculated vale of -0.472 was equal to the critical value of 0.472 so the research is significant. The alternative hypothesis is accepted and the null hypothesis rejected.
