Hypothesis Flashcards

Study Notes

A hypothesis is a tentative prediction or explanation regarding the relationship between two or more variables.

Hypotheses can originate from personal experience, existing literature, or theoretical frameworks.

Must entail a relational statement involving two or more measurable variables.
Should include comparative phrases like "more than," "less than," "greater than," "different from," or "related to."
Variables need to be operationally defined to ensure measurement.
Hypotheses must be justifiable and align with established research findings.

Directional Hypothesis: Specifies the anticipated direction of the relationship between variables.
Non-directional Hypothesis: Indicates the existence of a relationship but does not predict the direction.
Null Hypothesis: Asserts that there is no relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable.
Research Hypothesis: Serves as the alternative to the null hypothesis.
Simple Hypothesis: Predicts the relationship between one independent variable and one dependent variable.
Complex Hypothesis: Involves predictions about relationships between two or more independent variables and/or two or more dependent variables.

Hypotheses typically appear before the Methods section in research reports, often placed at the end of the Introduction or the Literature Review.
Many studies may not explicitly state a hypothesis, particularly qualitative studies, which typically do not have a hypothesis.

Directional Hypothesis: Includes a prediction about the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
Non-directional Hypothesis: States THERE IS a relationship without specifying any prediction.