In the hypothesis testing analogy, the alternative hypothesis assumes the person is not innocent. Which option best describes this Ha?

In the hypothesis testing analogy, the alternative hypothesis assumes the person is not innocent. Which option best describes this Ha?

• A. The person is innocent
• B. The person is guilty
• C. The evidence is strong
• D. The case is dismissed

Answer: (B)

In hypothesis testing, you start with a default assumption (the null) and have a claim you’re testing for evidence (the alternative). In this analogy, the default is that the person is innocent, and the alternative is that the person is not innocent. Saying the person is not innocent is the same as saying they are guilty, so that option best describes the alternative hypothesis. The other choices don’t fit because they aren’t the statement about innocence versus guilt that the alternative represents (innocent aligns with the null, evidence being strong is about how convincing the data are, and the case being dismissed is about process, not a hypothesis claim).

In hypothesis testing, you start with a default assumption (the null) and have a claim you’re testing for evidence (the alternative). In this analogy, the default is that the person is innocent, and the alternative is that the person is not innocent. Saying the person is not innocent is the same as saying they are guilty, so that option best describes the alternative hypothesis. The other choices don’t fit because they aren’t the statement about innocence versus guilt that the alternative represents (innocent aligns with the null, evidence being strong is about how convincing the data are, and the case being dismissed is about process, not a hypothesis claim).