Alternative Hypothesis
An Alternative Hypothesis is a claim or a complement to the null hypothesis. If the null hypothesis predicts a statement to be true, the Alternative Hypothesis predicts it to be false. Let’s say the null hypothesis states there is no difference between height and shoe size then the alternative hypothesis will oppose the claim by stating that there is a relation.
We see that the null hypothesis assumes no relationship between the variables whereas an alternative hypothesis proposes a significant relation between variables. An alternative theory is the one tested by the researcher and if the researcher gathers enough data to support it, then the alternative hypothesis replaces the null hypothesis.
Null and alternative hypotheses are exhaustive, meaning that together they cover every possible outcome. They are also mutually exclusive, meaning that only one can be true at a time.
Alternative Hypothesis: Definition, Types and Examples
In statistical hypothesis testing, the alternative hypothesis is an important proposition in the hypothesis test. The goal of the hypothesis test is to demonstrate that in the given condition, there is sufficient evidence supporting the credibility of the alternative hypothesis instead of the default assumption made by the null hypothesis.
Both hypotheses include statements with the same purpose of providing the researcher with a basic guideline. The researcher uses the statement from each hypothesis to guide their research. In statistics, alternative hypothesis is often denoted as Ha or H1.
Table of Content
- What is a Hypothesis?
- Alternative Hypothesis
- Types of Alternative Hypothesis
- Difference between Null and Alternative Hypothesis
- Formulating an Alternative Hypothesis
- Example of Alternative Hypothesis
- Application of Alternative Hypothesis