A statistical hypothesis that assumes no relationship, difference, or effect exists between variables in the population. It serves as the default assumption that researchers attempt to reject through empirical evidence.
Formalized by Ronald Fisher in the 1920s, with 'null' from Latin nullus meaning 'none' or 'zero.' The concept reflects Fisher's approach to hypothesis testing as attempting to nullify or reject the assumption of no effect.
The null hypothesis is like being skeptical by default—you assume nothing interesting is happening until proven otherwise! It's the statistical equivalent of 'innocent until proven guilty' in science.
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