What does P < .05 mean?
A.
The result is not significant for most nursing research, which requires more rigor.
B.
There is a 1-in-5 chance of the result occurring again by chance alone.
C.
The researcher is 95% confident that the result did not happen randomly.
D.
Only 5 out of 100 nursing research studies would report this result as significant.
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is C. The researcher is 95% confident that the result did not happen randomly.
In statistical hypothesis testing, a p-value is a measure of the strength of the evidence against the null hypothesis, which typically posits that there is no effect or no difference. A p-value of less than .05 (denoted as P < .05) indicates that the observed data would be highly unlikely if the null hypothesis were true. Specifically, it suggests that there is only a 5% chance (or less) that the observed results could have occurred due to random variation alone.
When researchers obtain a p-value of P < .05, it is generally interpreted as statistically significant. This means that the likelihood of the results being due to chance is low, leading researchers to reject the null hypothesis. The threshold of .05 is commonly accepted in many scientific fields, including nursing research, as a standard for determining statistical significance. This convention stems from the desire to balance the risks of Type I errors (false positives) and Type II errors (false negatives).
Confidence levels are closely associated with p-values. When a researcher claims a result is significant at P < .05, it implies a confidence level of 95%. This means the researcher can assert with 95% certainty that the observed effect or difference is not due to random chance. While this does not guarantee that the finding is clinically relevant or practically significant, it provides a foundation for further investigation and potential application in practice.
In summary, P < .05 indicates a statistically significant result, suggesting that the likelihood of the result occurring randomly is minimal. Researchers interpret this to mean they can be reasonably confident in their findings, bolstering the validity of their conclusions and recommendations for nursing practice.