Which of the following accurately describes a hypothesis test?

• A. A procedure used to make decisions or inferences about $\mathrm{population}\mathrm{parameters}$ based on $\mathrm{sample}\mathrm{data}$
• B. A method for calculating the $\mathrm{mean}$ of a $\mathrm{population}$ using only $\mathrm{descriptive}\mathrm{statistics}$
• C. A process for graphing $\mathrm{data}\mathrm{distributions}$ without making any inferences
• D. A technique for collecting $\mathrm{data}$ from every member of a $\mathrm{population}$

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a hypothesis test is a statistical procedure used to make decisions or draw conclusions about population parameters based on sample data.
2. Recognize that hypothesis testing involves formulating two competing hypotheses: the null hypothesis (\[H_0\]) and the alternative hypothesis (\[H_a\]).
3. Use sample data to calculate a test statistic, which measures how far the sample data deviates from what is expected under the null hypothesis.
4. Compare the test statistic to a critical value or use a p-value to determine whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis.
5. Conclude that hypothesis testing is not about calculating means, graphing data without inference, or collecting data from every population member, but about making informed decisions based on sample evidence.