Statistics and Probability Dictionary


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Region of Rejection

For a hypothesis test, a researcher collects sample data. From the sample data, the researcher computes a test statistic. If the statistic falls within a specified range of values, the researcher rejects the null hypothesis . The range of values that leads the researcher to reject the null hypothesis is called the region of rejection.

For example, a researcher might hypothesize that the population mean is equal to 10. To test this null hypothesis, he/she could collect a random sample of observations and compute the sample mean. If the sample mean is close to 10 (say, between 9 and 11), the researcher might decide to accept the hypothesis. In this example, the region of rejection would be the range of values that are less than 9 or greater than 11. If the sample mean falls in this range, the researcher would reject the null hypothesis.

See also:   Statistics Tutorial: Hypothesis Tests