Title: How to Calculate the pvalue
1How to Calculate the p-value
2There Are 2 Possibilities
- Left or Right Tailed Test (case 1)
- Two Tailed Test (case 2)
3Case 1 Left or Right Tailed Test
If the claim involves an inequality (either lt or
gt) then the test is a one tailed test. This means
that the p-value will be in one tail or the other
but not both. Lets look at a left tailed
example Claim The mean score on the verbal
portion of the GRE is at least 500. This means
the claim is So, the alternate will be given
by
4Case 1 Left or Right Tailed Test
If we are given that the test resulted in a z
-2.67 then we are being asked to find the
probability of seeing that value or more extreme
in the distribution of the null hypothesis. Since
it is a left tailed test that is from -E99 to
-2.67. I have exaggerated the drawn area to help
see it. The calculation is done using
normalcdf(-E99,-2.67,0,1) 0.004 Note the
procedure is the same for a Right Tail.
0.004 probability
-2.67 z
5Case 2 Two Tailed Test
If the claim involves an equality () then the
test is a two tailed test. This means that the
p-value will be in one tail and the other. Lets
look at a two tailed example Claim The mean
score on the verbal portion of the GRE is 500.
This means the claim is So, the alternate
will be given by
6Case 2 Two Tailed Test
If we are given that the test resulted in a z
-2.67 then we are being asked to find the
probability of seeing that value or more extreme
in the distribution of the null hypothesis. Since
it is a two tailed test that is from -E99 to
-2.67 and from 2.67 to E99. Again I have
exaggerated the drawn area to help see it. The
calculation is done using 2normalcdf(-E99,-12.67
,0,1) 0.008.
0.008 probability
-2.67 z
2.67 z