Hypotheses

Definition:

A hypothesis is a tentative conclusion or answer to a specific question raised at the beginning of the investigation. It is an untested proposition or possible solution to a problem. It is an educated guess about the answer to a specific question.
The major difference b/n a research question and a hypothesis is that a hypothesis predicts an experimental outcome.

Hypothetical statements assert probable answers to research questions. 2

Examples

Research question: How does the warning label on a cigarette package influence how many cigarettes a smoker smokes? Hypothesis: There is a negative relationship b/n the number of times a smoker reads the cigarette label & the number of cigarettes he or she smokes.
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Benefits of a Hypothesis
1. It determines the focus & direction for a research effort. 2. Its development forces the researcher to clearly state the purpose of the research activity. 3. It determines what variables will not be considered in a study, as well as those that will be considered. 4. It requires the researcher to have an operational definition of the variables of interest.
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Some Basic Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis

1.

It is declarative.
It is presented in a statement either mathematically (Ho: 1 = 2) or linguistically (There is no significant difference between Mean 1 and Mean 2 or Mean 1 is equal to Mean 2).

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

It must be unambiguous, clear and specific It must state, in clear terms, the relationship being tested It must clearly indicate the variables involved or being tested It must be statistically testable (i.e. be capable of tested right or wrong on the basis of empirical evidence) It must relate to observable and natural phenomenon It must be value neutral.

Forms of Hypotheses

There are two forms of hypotheses. One is operational form and the other is the null form. The operational (also called alternate) form is stated in the affirmative while the null form is stated in the negative form. The alternate form (H1) states that there is a significant difference (or association) b/n two phenomena while the null form (Ho) states that there is no significant difference (association) b/n the two phenomena.

TIP
Researchers usually want to test the null hypothesis. A null hypothesis is a statement about the nature of the population, not the nature of the sample. When you state the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the mean salary of men & women, you are claiming that if you were to measure the salary of an infinite number of men and that of women, there would be absolutely no difference at all b/n these means.

Examples

Research Question: Is smoking dangerous to health? Null Hypothesis: Smoking is not negatively related to lung cancer. Alternate Hypothesis: Smoking is negatively related to lung cancer.

 Research question: Is there any significant difference b/n the

perceptions of the teachers & those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of science?

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference b/n the perceptions of

teachers & those of the students concerning the different aspects in teaching of science.

Alternate hypothesis: There is a significant difference b/n the

perceptions of teachers & those of the students concerning the different aspects in teaching of science.

Process of Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a systematic method used to evaluate data & aid the decision-making process. The following is typical serious of steps in testing of a hypothesis: State the hypothesis of interest Determine the appropriate test statistic Specify the significance level Determine the decision rule Collect the data & perform the needed calculations Decide to reject or not to reject the null hypothesis.
 These steps will be revisited in the Data Analysis section.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.