The script writer misunderstood Spock and rational man. When a change in one thing is associated with a change in another, we have an effect. The changes may be either quantitative or qualitative, with the hypothesis testing procedure selected based upon the type of change observed. For example, if changes in salt intake in a diet are associated with activity level in children, we say an effect occurred. Much of the behavioral science is directed toward discovering and understanding effects.
All hypothesis tests conform to similar principles and proceed with the same sequence of events.
A model of the world is created in which there are no effects. The experiment is then repeated an infinite number of times. The results of the experiment are compared with the model of step one. If, given the model, the results are unlikely, then the model is rejected and the effects are accepted as real. If, the results could be explained by the model, the model must be retained.