True or False? In Exercises 5–10, determine whether the statement is true or false. If it is false, rewrite it as a true statement.


To support a claim, state it so that it becomes the null hypothesis.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the null hypothesis (H₀): The null hypothesis is a statement of no effect, no difference, or the status quo. It is the hypothesis that researchers aim to test against the alternative hypothesis (H₁).
2. Recognize the purpose of the null hypothesis: The null hypothesis is typically formulated to be tested and potentially rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis. It is the default assumption.
3. Evaluate the statement: The problem suggests that to support a claim, it should be stated as the null hypothesis. This is not always true. In many cases, the claim is stated as the alternative hypothesis (H₁), and the null hypothesis (H₀) represents the opposite of the claim.
4. Rewrite the statement if false: A more accurate statement would be, 'To support a claim, state it so that it becomes the alternative hypothesis, and the null hypothesis represents the opposite of the claim.'
5. Conclude: The original statement is false because claims are typically stated as the alternative hypothesis, not the null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is tested to determine whether there is enough evidence to support the alternative hypothesis.

Key Concepts

Null Hypothesis

The null hypothesis is a fundamental concept in statistics that represents a default position or statement that there is no effect or no difference. It is typically denoted as H0 and serves as a starting point for statistical testing. Researchers aim to gather evidence to either reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis based on sample data.

Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a statistical method used to make decisions about a population based on sample data. It involves formulating two competing hypotheses: the null hypothesis (H0) and the alternative hypothesis (H1). The goal is to determine whether there is enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative, often using a significance level to guide the decision.

Claim Support

Supporting a claim in statistics involves providing evidence that either supports or contradicts a hypothesis. When a claim is made, it is often framed in a way that can be tested statistically. If the claim is to be supported, it should be articulated as an alternative hypothesis, while the null hypothesis remains the statement of no effect or difference, which is tested against the evidence.