Hypotheses Just Wanna Have Fun
This is like the opening lyric to every 80s power ballad: a bold claim with big emotion but no proof yet. It is the guiding assumption before the evidence kicks in.
What is a hypothesis?
When your results hit like the dramatic plot twist at the end of The Sixth Sense, you’ve reached this type of significance based purely on the numbers.
What is statistical significance?
Parametric tests are like classic rock bands. They need everything tuned just right: normality, equal variances, and interval/ratio instruments. What is this called?
What are the assumptions of parametric tests?
In The Lion King, Rafiki says, “It is time.” In statistics, this phrase becomes true when your p-value finally drops below this commonly used cutoff.
What is .05 (alpha)?
In Taylor Swift’s “Karma,” she sings “Karma is my boyfriend.” In statistics, karma shows up when doing too many tests increases your chance of a false positive, also known as this type of error.
Type I error
In football, the play isn’t complete until you know whether the ball crossed the line. In statistics, you also need a “line” to decide if a result counts — it’s called this.
What is the critical value (or significance level)?
This hypothesis has big “Don’t Stop Believin’” energy. It insists nothing is happening unless the data gives it a reason to change its mind.
What is the null hypothesis (H₀)?
This type of significance asks whether your findings would actually matter in the real world. It's kind of like deciding if a sequel was truly necessary or just a cash grab (eg. Thor: Love and Thunder).
What is practical significance?
These are the punk tock bands of statistics; they don’t care about rules, structure, or perfectly shaped distributions.
What are nonparametric tests?
In Mean Girls, Gretchen insists “Stop trying to make fetch happen.” In statistics, this happens when researchers try to force a relationship that simply isn’t there.
What is failing to find a significant correlation (r not significant)?
In Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” she accuses someone of “sucking [her] dry” similar to how one overly influential data point can drain the accuracy of a regression model.
What is an outlier?
A tennis rally goes back and forth like two variables rising and falling together. When your stats do this in harmony, they show this kind of relationship.
What is a correlation?
This hypothesis is the “Under Pressure” of stats — always on the hook, considered “guilty until proven effective,” just waiting for the data to rescue it like an 80s guitar solo.
What is the alternative hypothesis?
This error is the stats version of Rachel in The Girl on the Train.
What is Type 1 Error?
A t-test is like a band that needs its amps checked; it only performs well when the data “sounds” normal. What type of test is this?
What is a parametric test?
In Back to the Future, Doc says the flux capacitor is what “makes time travel possible.” In regression, this variable is what makes predicting Y from X possible.
What is the independent variable?
In Harry Styles’ “Late Night Talking,” he sings, “We’ve been doing all this late night talking.” In statistics, too much talk without enough data leads to uncertainty described by this measure.
What is sampling error?
When a soccer team takes shots from all over the field, the spread tells you how varied the attempts are. In statistics, this spread is known as this.
This type of reasoning is like hearing a few synth beats and immediately assuming it's an 80s hit. It's taking specific clues and generalizing them into a bigger idea.
What is induction?
This error is like Blake Lively in A Simple Favor.
What is Type II Error?
The chi-square test is like a rhythm section working with raw beats - tally marks, frequencies, and categories. What type of test is this?
What is a nonparametric test?
Beyoncé famously sings, “If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring on it.” In hypothesis testing, if the data supports your theory, you should “put” this decision on it.
What is ‘reject the null hypothesis’?
Doja Cat’s “Say So” became a viral TikTok hit due to consistent patterns in the dance challenge. In statistics, a consistent pattern also shows up in this value that measures how well X predicts Y.
What is the correlation coefficient (r)?
A baseball/softball pitcher tests different pitches — rise balls, curveballs, drop balls — to see which one performs best against different hitters. In statistics, comparing several groups at once is the job of this test.
What is ANOVA?
This reasoning is like knowing it’s a Michael Jackson song first and then spotting each signature detail: the glove, the beat, the moves.
What is deduction?
This Greek letter plays the same role as a movie rating. It tells you the risk level you’ve accepted and is usually set at .05.
What is alpha (α)?
Choosing parametric vs. nonparametric is like picking between acoustic and electric versions of a song. It all depends on the type of data and whether the assumptions “hit the right notes.” This is an example of what?
What is selecting the appropriate test type?
In The Matrix, Neo must choose between the red pill and the blue pill. In statistics, choosing the right path often depends on whether your data is interval/ratio or nominal/ordinal, which determines this major decision.
What is selecting between parametric and nonparametric tests?
Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” shifts in tempo and structure throughout the song. In statistics, data with dramatic shifts or unpredictable jumps violates this assumption required for many parametric tests.
What is normality?
In archery, hitting close to the bullseye consistently means you’re both accurate and precise. In statistics, a test with consistent results across trials has this important quality.
What is reliability?