Which of the following is not a criterion for making a decision in a hypothesis test?

• A. The significance level $\alpha$ chosen before the test
• B. The p-value calculated from the sample data
• C. The sample size used in the study
• D. The value of the test statistic compared to the critical value

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that in hypothesis testing, decisions are primarily based on comparing the p-value to the significance level \( \alpha \), or equivalently, comparing the test statistic to the critical value.
2. Recall that the significance level \( \alpha \) is chosen before conducting the test and represents the threshold for rejecting the null hypothesis.
3. Recognize that the p-value is calculated from the sample data and indicates the probability of observing the test results, or more extreme, assuming the null hypothesis is true.
4. Know that the test statistic is computed from the sample data and compared to the critical value to decide whether to reject the null hypothesis.
5. Identify that while sample size affects the power and precision of the test, it is not a direct criterion used to make the decision in hypothesis testing.