Stat Trek

Teach yourself statistics

Stat Trek

Teach yourself statistics

Statistics Dictionary

To see a definition, select a term from the dropdown text box below. The statistics dictionary will display a definition for the term, plus links to related web pages.

Type I Error

Two types of errors can result from a decision rule .

  • Type I error. A Type I error occurs when the researcher rejects a null hypothesis when it is true. The probability of committing a Type I error is called the significance level , and is often denoted by α.

  • Type II error. A Type II error occurs when the researcher accepts a null hypothesis that is false. The probability of committing a Type II error is called Beta, and is often denoted by β. The probability of not committing a Type II error is called the Power of the test.