Hypothesis testing

[jrouse]

What would be the practical negative impact if your hypothesis test incurred a type I error? Type II error?

I understand that a type I error is actually true even though the test may say it is wrong and vise versa but trying to explain it doesn't make sense. If my null states that a certain plant was damaging to the environment. How would a type I error impact the plant?

 

[tkhunny]

Try to remember that Type I and Type II error are not moral judgments.

Let's assume that our Null Hypothesis is a call to action, such as "Your plant is evil!! You should be shut down."

If we reject such an hypotheses when it is true, we do nothing when we should have done something.
If we accept such an hypotheses when it is false, we do things that are unnecessary.

Quite the contrary when the hypothesis of interest is a call to inaction, such as "My plant is find. Leave me alone."

The hypothesis can be a moral judgment.