What term refers to the probability that the observed result would occur by chance alone?

The term that refers to the probability that the observed result would occur by chance alone is the p-value. A p-value is a statistical measure that helps researchers determine the significance of their results in the context of a null hypothesis, which posits that there is no effect or no difference. When researchers conduct experiments or studies, they use p-values to evaluate whether the observed data is consistent with the null hypothesis.

A p-value quantifies the likelihood that the observed results, or something more extreme, would occur if the null hypothesis were true. For instance, a p-value of 0.05 indicates that there is a 5% probability that the observed results could happen due to random chance. If the p-value is less than a predetermined significance level (often set at 0.05), researchers may reject the null hypothesis, suggesting that the observed results are statistically significant.

Other terms like the null hypothesis, significance level, and probability have distinct meanings in the context of statistical analysis. The null hypothesis, for example, serves as the foundation for hypothesis testing and does not directly reflect the likelihood of results occurring by chance. The significance level is a threshold that researchers set to determine whether to reject the null hypothesis, while probability could refer to the general likelihood of