Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Statistical significance refers to whether any differences observed between groups being studied are "real" or if theyโre likely due just to chance. It's often determined by p-values less than 0.05.
Related terms
P-value: A statistical measure that helps scientists determine whether their hypotheses are correct. It represents how likely their results occurred by chance alone.
This is an assumption that there's no effect or relationship between two measured phenomena. Researchers aim either to reject or support this hypothesis through their study.
Confidence Interval: A range within which we can be certain at a given level of confidence (usually 95%) that the true value lies.