null hypothesis

USAGE SUMMARY

"null hypothesis" is a correct and usable term in written English.
It is used in scientific research, particularly in hypothesis testing, to refer to the statement that there is no difference between the groups being studied. For example, "The null hypothesis of this study was that there is no difference between the responses of short-term and long-term participants."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The null hypothesis.

The Guardian

Extending the null hypothesis of molecular evolution.

Nature

Sterling, T. D. Consequence of prejudice against the null hypothesis.

Nature

Thus, the null hypothesis was rejected.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

"Done properly, science means that you stop yourself and figure out what the opposite is — the null hypothesis — and you prove the null hypothesis couldn't possibly be true.

The New York Times - Science

-Does your data support your hypothesis and contradict your null hypothesis?

The New York Times

You then have to go about getting enough data to prove the null hypothesis wrong.

The Guardian

Preliminary results suggest that our null hypothesis is true.

Princeton University

Then create and set about disproving the null hypothesis ("Bigfoot exists").

The New York Times

If p-value is less than 0.05, reject null hypothesis.

Columbia University

The "null hypothesis" is most often the default hypothesis in science.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When formulating a "null hypothesis", ensure it is specific, testable, and clearly states the absence of a relationship or effect you are investigating. This clarity is essential for accurate statistical analysis.

Common error

Avoid assuming that rejecting the "null hypothesis" automatically proves the alternative hypothesis is entirely correct. Rejection only suggests evidence against the null hypothesis, not absolute proof of the alternative.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "null hypothesis" functions as a noun phrase that identifies a specific type of hypothesis used in statistical hypothesis testing. It represents the statement of no effect or no relationship between variables, which is then tested against observed data. As Ludwig examples show, it is central to scientific methodology.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

65%

News & Media

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "null hypothesis" is a cornerstone of statistical hypothesis testing, representing a statement of no effect or no difference that researchers aim to disprove. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and very common, particularly in scientific, academic, and news contexts. Related phrases include "statistical null hypothesis" and "hypothesis of no effect", which offer alternative ways to express similar ideas. When using the "null hypothesis", clarity and precision are essential for accurate analysis and interpretation. Remember that rejecting the "null hypothesis" doesn't automatically prove the alternative, but it indicates evidence against the "null hypothesis". Ludwig examples reveal the importance of this phrase in defining the baseline assumption in scientific research.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

statistical null hypothesis

Adds 'statistical' to explicitly clarify the context of the null hypothesis.

hypothesis of no effect

Rephrases the concept to focus on the absence of an effect or relationship.

assumption of no difference

Emphasizes the initial assumption that there is no difference between groups or variables.

baseline hypothesis

Highlights the role of the null hypothesis as a baseline against which to compare results.

default hypothesis

Indicates that the null hypothesis is the standard assumption before evidence is considered.

test hypothesis of no effect

Clarifies that the hypothesis is specifically being tested for the absence of an effect.

initial hypothesis of no difference

Emphasizes the initial nature of the hypothesis and the absence of a difference.

presumed hypothesis of no association

Highlights the presumed lack of association between variables.

zero hypothesis

Uses 'zero' as a synonym for 'null', emphasizing the absence of an effect.

the hypothesis to be disproven

Focuses on the goal of disproving the initial assumption.

FAQs

How is the "null hypothesis" used in research?

The "null hypothesis" is a statement of no effect or no difference that researchers aim to disprove through statistical testing. It serves as a baseline to evaluate if there is enough evidence to support an alternative hypothesis.

What does it mean to reject the "null hypothesis"?

Rejecting the "null hypothesis" means there is sufficient statistical evidence to conclude that the null hypothesis is likely false, suggesting that there is a real effect or difference present in the data.

Can you accept the "null hypothesis"?

Technically, you don't "accept" the "null hypothesis"; rather, you fail to reject it. Failing to reject the null hypothesis means there isn't enough evidence to conclude that it is false, but it doesn't prove it is true. It may be that the study lacked the power to detect an existing difference. In this case, running a larger study, or considering a Bayesian test for equivalence may be warranted.

What is an example of a "null hypothesis"?

A simple example is, "There is no difference in test scores between students who study for 1 hour and those who study for 2 hours." The alternative is there is an effect, which might need to be more explicitly stated. You could re-phrase as, “Students who study for 2 hours achieve better scores than students who study for one hour”