Slide a test result along the bell curve expected if nothing special is happening. Near the middle it fits; past 1.96 standard deviations it looks too unusual.
Foundations: Compatibility with the Null (H₀)
Observed Test Statistic (Z):1.2
Null Hypothesis Distribution (H₀)
Compatibility Verdict
Z-score: 1.20
Result Status:
Compatible with H₀ (Usual)
Hypothesis testing asks: "How likely is our observed result if the null hypothesis is true?"
Outcomes within 1.96 standard deviations are typical, while outcomes beyond that are rare events that contradict the null model.
