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Statistical Significance: What p-Values Actually Mean
A number that is widely misunderstood—even by scientists
The p-value is one of the most misused tools in all of science—and understanding it changes how you read research.
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A p-value of 0.05 does not mean there is a 95% chance your hypothesis is correct. It means there is a 5% probability of observing your result if there were actually no real effect.
This distinction matters because most people conflate statistical significance with practical importance or truth. A result can be statistically significant and still be trivially small or scientifically irrelevant.
Understanding p-values protects you from being misled by headlines that overstate the meaning of single studies.
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