There has long been an analogy between hypothesis testing and court proceedings. Explain how the presumption of innocence during a trial could possibly be related to hypothesis testing in statistics.

What will be an ideal response?


A good analogy to the logic behind hypothesis testing is the presumption of innocence in a criminal trial. At the outset of a trial, a jury must consider the defendant to be legally innocent of the crime for which they are accused. The null hypothesis under such circumstances would be “innocence,” or the absence of guilt. The alternative hypothesis would be guilt. If a prosecuting attorney fails to convincingly demonstrate guilt, then the innocence assumption stands, and the defendant must be acquitted. Hence, the null hypothesis is retained. If, however, the prosecution presents sufficient incriminating evidence, then the jury rejects the assumption of innocence and renders a guilty verdict. The null hypothesis is rejected.

Criminal Justice

You might also like to view...

When interrogating juvenile offenders, it is helpful for the police to confuse the subject by using "big words."

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Criminal Justice

In _________, the Supreme Court held that the Fourth Amendment protected people's reasonable expectations of privacy

a. Kelly v. Johnson c. Biehunik v. Felicetta b. Katz v. United States d. People v. Tidwell

Criminal Justice

________ seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality

a. General deterrence b. Retribution c. Specific deterrence d. Recidivism

Criminal Justice

Which of the following states adopted accelerated release policies?

A. Florida, Maine, and North Dakota B. Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee C. Tennessee, Maine, and Mississippi D. Tennessee, North Dakota, and Maine

Criminal Justice