DQ 1: What are some terms related to hypothesis testing that you are already familiar with? What is the difference between a null and an alternative hypothesis statement? Why do a null and alternative hypothesis have to be mutually exclusive? (Due Wednesday)
Terms that is related to hypothesis testing that I am familiar with is hypothesis, which means a prediction which is usually based on an informal observation, research and it is tested in a study. Theory is another term I know. Theory is what one has or a set of principles that tries to explain one or more facts. I did not know there was something called null hypothesis. According to our textbook, “null hypothesis” is because it “states the situation in which there is no difference ( the difference is null) between the populations” (Aron, Aron, & Coups, 2009).
Null hypothesis will show that there is no observed effect for a experiment. A null hypothesis is what one tries to overturn his or her hypothesis test. Taylor (2013) states, “We hope to obtain a small enough p-value that we are justified in rejecting the null hypothesis” (para. 3). A alternative hypothesis is also known as an experimental hypothesis. It shows that there is a observed effect for an experiment. It is what one tries to show in an indirect way by using the hypothesis testing. If the null hypothesis is rejected then one will see that the alternative hypothesis is effective. Now if the finding are not null then one will not accept the alternative of the hypothesis.

Reference

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Coups, E. J. (2009). Statistics for psychology [University of Phoenix Custom Edition eBook]. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Psy315 website.
Taylor, C. (2013). About.com Statistics. Retrieved from http://statistics.about.com/od/Inferential-Statistics/a/The-Difference-Between-The-Null-Hypothesis-And-Alternative-Hypothesis.htm