Can you help me understand this Social Science question?

The study of statistics is not like Algebra, in that it is less about getting the “right” answer than being able to correctly draw conclusions from data that has often been gathered and manipulated by someone else, and where there may be opportunities for opposing interpretation. It is in this area where statistics can be used to mislead and deceive you. This exercise is designed to help make you a better critical thinker and consumer of published statistics.

Directions

Discussion questions are designed to take you beyond the textbook and PowerPoints and engage you in critical thinking about the material. You are required to make a substantive post, however, there are no arbitrary page limits. Most of these questions cannot be answered in a single paragraph and likely require you to do research outside of class to generate the best response.

Each discussion requires a minimum of two substantive peer review posts. All posts must utilize and cite material from the unit’s course information, readings, and videos. You may also use outside resources to support your answer.

What are substantive postings? Substantive postings include:

• Responding to discussion questions as well as discourse between students related to subject matter within the course. This includes posting responses to others’ answers within a Discussion Area. A response may express agreement with or challenge to the point of view expressed, supported by references (citations) to the text or other course materials.
• Contributing to the discussion based upon course content, theory, personal experiences, or external research, not simply personal opinions.

Discussion Question

There is a difference between a research topic and a research question. A research question provides a foundation for creating a testable hypothesis. For this discussion, start by generating your own research topic and associated research question. For your research question, state the null and alternative hypothesis. Are your hypotheses one-tailed or two-tailed? Are they directional or non-directional? Explain. With inferential statistics, the goal is to reject the null hypothesis. What does this mean? If we reject the null hypothesis, do we conclude that the alternative hypothesis is correct? Why or why not?

Due Dates

• First Substantive Post due by 11:59 p.m., Thursday, CT.