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A one-tailed test should be used only in a study in which an effect in the unexpected direction is functionally equivalent to no effect. It is not appropriate to use a one-tailed test simply because one is able to specify the expected direction of the effect prior to running the study. In medicine, for example, we typically expect that the new procedure will improve the cure rate, but a finding that it decreases the cure rate would still be important, since it would demonstrate a possible flaw in the underlying theory. For a given effect size, sample size, and alpha, a one-tailed test is more powerful than a two-tailed test (a one-tailed test with alpha set at .05 has approximately the same power as a two-tailed test with alpha set at .10). However, the number of tails should be set based on the substantive issue (will an effect in the reverse direction be meaningful).

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Q: When is it valid to use a one-tailed test?
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