The '''null hypothesis''' is the [[hypothesis]] that a factor or characteristic of a group is of no consequence. In other words, the null hypothesis is that a factor does not matter. More generally, the null hypothesis is a default position that the tester wishes to [[falsify]] on the basis of the data. The null hypothesis typically holds that something is not present, that there is no effect, or that there is no difference between treatment and control.<ref>[http://statistics.berkeley.edu/~stark/SticiGui/Text/gloss.htm#null_hypothesis Glossary: Null hypothesis]</ref> | The '''null hypothesis''' is the [[hypothesis]] that a factor or characteristic of a group is of no consequence. In other words, the null hypothesis is that a factor does not matter. More generally, the null hypothesis is a default position that the tester wishes to [[falsify]] on the basis of the data. The null hypothesis typically holds that something is not present, that there is no effect, or that there is no difference between treatment and control.<ref>[http://statistics.berkeley.edu/~stark/SticiGui/Text/gloss.htm#null_hypothesis Glossary: Null hypothesis]</ref> |