Incidental findings on multimodel comparison, hypothesis testing error, and its solution

The case of information, knowledge, and career pursuit

Abstract

This article sheds light on an incidental discovery of hypothesis testing error and its solution in a study that compared the multimodel effects of information and knowledge on career decisions. Using a sample of 500 second and third year undergraduates who were simple randomly recruited from 10 simple randomly selected universities, the study demonstrates how hypothesis testing error could occur when multimodel comparison of the effects of the same set of independent constructs (information and knowledge) on a different but related set of dependent constructs (career pursuit and rewarding career pursuit) is performed and how that error can be avoided through detailed scrutiny of the psychic distance between the dependent constructs. It is hoped that the insights herein will be useful for scholars to avoid and overcome the pitfall of hypothesis testing error arising from multimodel comparison involving a different but related set of dependent constructs.