RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

& HYPOTHESES
WHAT ARE RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES?

• STATEMENTS OF WHAT THE RESEARCHER

INTENDS TO DO
• SPECIFIES WHAT THE RESEARCHER WANTS TO
DO AND FIND OUT
TYPES OF OBJECTIVES

• 1. IMMEDIATE / GENERAL OBJECTIVE

• RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND STATES CLEARLY WHAT THE RESEARCHER WILL DO &
EXPECTS TO FIND OUT

2.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
EXAMINES SPECIFIC VARIABLES IN THE STUDY
SUGGESTS THE TYPE OF ANALYSIS TO BE DONE
WHAT IS A HYPOTHESIS?
• AN EDUCATED GUESS OR A TENTATIVE ANSWER TO A QUESTION
• A STATEMENT ABOUT AN EXPECTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 2 OR MORE
VARIABLES THAT CAN BE EMPIRICALLY TESTED
• SUGGESTS THE TYPE OF ANALYSIS THAT MUST BE DONE IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE
RELATIONSHIP
• USUALLY TESTED IN INTERVENTION OR EVALUATION STUDIES & IN
CORELATIONAL/RELATIONAL STUDIES
• DESCRIPTIVE OR DIAGNOSTIC OR EXPLORATORY STUDIES DO NOT REQUIRES
HYPOTHESIS
FUNCTIONS OF A HYPOTHESIS
• 1. A SINGLE HYPOTHESIS MIGHT STATE AN INDEPENDENT VARIABLE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
• Ex: there is a significant association between level of knowledge about the dangers of smoking and smoking
habits of young professionals

• 2. A HYPOTHESIS SPECIFIES THAT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS (X.Y,Z) , VARIABLE A IS

ASSOCIATED WITH OR CAN INFLUENCE VARIABLE B
• EX: there is a significant association …. Among young medical practitioners who have positive attitude towards
life

• 3. A HYPOTHESIS MAY STATE THAT A PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTIC OF A PERSON OR

OBJECT VARIES ACCORDING TO ANOTHER VARIABLE
• EX: the proportion of women who have experienced domestic violence is higher in the rural areas than in the
urban areas
TYPES OF HYPOTHESES
• NULL VS ALTERNATIVE
• NULL – A NEGATIVE STATEMENT WHICH INDICATES THE ABSENCE OF A RELATIONSHIP /CORRELATION OR
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO VARIABLES
• EX: THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MASS MEDIA EXPOSURE & ATTITUDE TOWARDS LAND REFORM
AMONG LOWLAND FARMERS
• ALTERNATIVE – POSITIVE FORM OF THE NULL HYPOTHESIS
• EX: THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP …

• DIRECTIONAL VS NON-DIRECTIONAL
• DIRECTIONAL – STATES WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 2 VARIABLES IS DIRECT OR INVERSE OR
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
• EX: THE HIGHER THE LEVEL OF EXPOSURE OF FARMERS TO MASS MEDIA THE MORE FAVORABLE THEIR ATTITUDE
TOWARDS LAND REFORM
• NON-DIRECTIONAL – DOES NOT SPECIFIY THE DIRECTION
• EX: TAKING VITAMMINS REGULARLY TEND TO IMPROVE A WORKER’S TOTAL HEALTH STATUS
HOW TO WRITE A HYPOTHESIS

• IN SIMPLE UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE

• FOCUS ON THE VARIABLES
• KEEP IN MIND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN INDEPENDENT
AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES
• DEPENDENT – THE PROBLEM ITSELF
• INDEPENDENT – THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM