After applying a statistical test, an investigator gets the ‘P value’ as 0.01. it means that
**Question:** After applying a statistical test, an investigator gets the 'P value' as 0.01. it means that
A. significant
B. not significant
C. study is consistent with the null hypothesis
D. study is consistent with the alternative hypothesis
**Core Concept:**
A P value represents the probability of observing a test statistic as extreme or more extreme than the one obtained in the study, assuming that the null hypothesis is true. A P value less than a predetermined threshold (usually 0.05 or 5%) indicates that the result is statistically significant, meaning that the observed difference or association is unlikely to have occurred by chance.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right:**
In this context, a P value of 0.01 is significantly less than the commonly accepted threshold of 0.05. Therefore, when the P value is 0.01, we interpret it as the study providing strong evidence against the null hypothesis (H0) and in favor of the alternative hypothesis (Ha).
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect:**
A. False. A P value of 0.01 indicates that the result is statistically significant, not not significant.
B. False. A P value of 0.01 supports the alternative hypothesis, not the null hypothesis.
C. False. A P value of 0.01 supports the alternative hypothesis, not that the study is consistent with the null hypothesis.
D. False. A P value of 0.01 supports the alternative hypothesis, not that the study is consistent with the alternative hypothesis.
**Clinical Pearl:**
A P value of 0.01 (or 1%) indicates a high degree of confidence in rejecting the null hypothesis and accepting the alternative hypothesis. In clinical research, this level of statistical significance suggests a real difference or association between variables, rather than being due to chance.