p-value

A p-value is a measure used in statistics to assess the evidence against a specific hypothesis, called the null hypothesis. It represents the probability of obtaining results at least as extreme as the ones observed, assuming the null hypothesis is true. A small p-value suggests that such results are unlikely if the null hypothesis is correct, leading researchers to question or reject it. Conversely, a large p-value indicates the data do not provide strong evidence against the null hypothesis. In essence, the p-value helps determine whether the observed data are consistent with a default assumption or if there might be a significant effect.