HYPOTHESIS

By- Unnati Shah

• An hypothesis is a tentative explanation by the researcher of what the researcher considers the outcome of an investigation will be.  

• It is an informed/educated guess.

• It indicates the expectations of the researcher regarding certain variables. 

• It is the most specific way in which an answer to a problem can be stated.

• It is a statement postulating a possible relationship between two or more phenomena or variables.

• This hypothesis is tested for possible rejection or approval.

• If hypothesis get accepted it shows that your hunch was right and if it gets rejected it still does not mean that your research was not valid but it means that it is the opposite way you thought and perceived.

  THE PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF AN HYPOTHESIS

• It offers explanations for the relationships between those variables that can be empirically tested.

• It furnishes proof that the researcher has sufficient background knowledge to make suggestions in order to extend existing knowledge.

• It gives direction to an investigation.

• It structures the next phase in the investigation and therefore furnishes continuity to the examination of the problem.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN HYPOTHESIS

• It should have elucidating power.• It should strive to furnish an

acceptable explanation of the phenomenon.

• It must be verifiable.• It must be formulated in simple,

understandable terms.• It should corresponds with

existing knowledge.

TYPES OF HYPOTHESES• Hypotheses can be classified in

terms of their derivation (inductive and deductive hypotheses) and in terms of their formulation (research - directional and non-directional and statistical or null hypotheses).

NULL HYPOTHESIS

• It states that there is no association between the predictor and outcome variables in the population.

• By starting with the proposition that there is no association, statistical tests can estimate the probability that an observed association could be due to chance.

ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHEISIS

• The proposition that there is an - is called the alternative hypothesis.

• The alternative hypothesis cannot be tested directly.

• It is accepted by exclusion if the test of statistical significance rejects the null hypothesis.

DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS

• Directional hypothesis explains and predicts the direction and existence of a specific relationship.

• The predicted relationship will be either positive or negative.

• It is also known as the cause-and-effect hypothesis. 

Characteristics of a Well-formulated Research Hypothesis:

•Testable and Verifiable.•Simple and Clear.

•Relevant.