The probability of making an error is often called ‘p’ in research reports.
Remember, we set our alpha level prior to analyzing the data and that level is the acceptable level of error that we will overlook since no research is ever 100% error free.
The alpha level means that we will deem our results significant or valid if the amount of error is less than the amount accepted (.05 or .01).
If the probability of error (p) is less than the accepted level of error (alpha), then we can state that the research is significant because p < α.
In a research report, it is usually written similar to:
The results are significant (p < .05) or The results are significant at the .05 level.
The results did not yield significant results (p > .05) or The results were not significant at the .05 level.
