Definition:
The alternative hypothesis is like saying, "Hey, I think something interesting is happening here!" It's a statement in statistics that suggests there is a real difference or effect in the population, and you're trying to gather evidence to support it.
Example:
Imagine you are curious whether drinking coffee affects people's productivity at work. You might formulate two hypotheses:
- Null Hypothesis (H0): Drinking coffee has no effect on productivity.
- Alternative Hypothesis (Ha): Drinking coffee increases productivity.
Here, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) suggests that there is indeed a relationship between drinking coffee and productivity, specifically that coffee consumption leads to increased productivity. This is what you're trying to find evidence for through your study or experiment.
Conclusion:
In simpler terms, the alternative hypothesis is like saying, "Hey, I think there's something interesting happening here, and I want to find evidence to support it!" It's the hypothesis that proposes a difference or effect and is usually what researchers hope to find evidence for in their studies.