RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
DR. MAHESWARI JAIKUMAR
maheswarijaikumar2103@gmail.com

HYPOTHESIS
• Is a formal
tentative
statement of the
expected
relationship
between two or
more variables
under the study.

• A hypothesIs helps to translate
the research problem and
objectives into a prediction of
the expected results or
outcomes of the research study.

• A clearly stated hypothesIs
includes the variables to be
manipulated or measured,
identifies the population to be
examined and indicates the
proposed outcome for the study.

• The formulation of hypothesis
plays an important role in the
theory building.

HYPOTHESIS CENTRAL TO
RESEARCH

DEFINITION
• “Hypothesis is a tentative
prediction or explanation of the
relationship between two
variables’ It implies that there is a
systematic relationship between
an independent and dependent
variable”.

• “Hypothesis is a shrewd guess or
inference that is formulated and
provisionally adopted to explain
observed facts or conditions and
to guide in further
investigations”
… GOOD & HATT

IMPORTANCE OF
HYPOTHESIS
• Hypothesis enables the
researcher to objectively
investigate new areas of
discovery, thus helps in theory
building.

• Hypothesis provides objectivity
to the research activity.
• Hypothesis provides directions
to conduct research.

• Hypothesis provides clear and
specific goals to the researchers.
These goals provide the
investigator with a basis for
selecting sample and research
procedures to meet the set
goals.

• Hypothesis provides a link
between theories and actual
practical research.
• It serves as a bridge between
theory and reality.

• A hypothesis suggests the
methodology to be chosen to
conduct the study.
• It is a tentative statement of the
anticipated results, it guides the
researcher towards the direction
in which the research should
proceed.

• It stimulates the thinking process
of the researcher a the
researcher forms the hypotheses
by anticipating the outcome.
• It provides directions about the
methodology to be chosen &
techniques of data analysis.

• Hypothesis provides an
understanding of the researchers
about what to expect from the
results of the study.
• It serves as a framework for
drawing conclusions of a
research study.

• Without a hypothesis a research
would be an aimless wandering.

CHARATERISTICS
• A good hypothesis must be written
in declarative form using present
tense.
• It must contain variables,
population under study and should
be relevant to the research
problem & objectives.

A GOOD HYPOTHESIS
1. CONCEPTUAL CLARITY.
2. EMPIRICAL REFERENTS.
3. OBJECTIVITY.
4. SPECIFICITY.
5.RELEVANT.
6. TESTABILITY.

7. CONSISTENCY.
8. SIMPLICITY.
9. AVAILABILITY OF TECHNIQUE.
10. PURPOSIVENESS.
11. VERIFIABILITY.
12. PROFOUNDITY OF EFFECTS.
13. ECONOMICAL.

CONCEPTUAL CLARITY
• A good hypothesis consists of
clearly defined and
understandable concepts.
• It is stated in a very clear terms,
the meaning and implications of
which cannot be doubted.

EMPIRICAL REFERENTS
• A research must have an ultimate
empirical referent.
• No usable hypothesis can embody
moral judgments. A good
hypotheses must have empirical
basis from the area of enquiry.

OBJECTIVITY
• Hypothesis must be objective.
(objectivity in data collection,
and should be able to keep
research activity from researcher
value judgment.

SPECIFICITY
• A good research hypothesis must
be specific, not general and
should explain the expected
relations between variables .
• ( E.g., Exercise and stress).

RELEVANT
• The hypothesis should be
relevant to the problem and
objectives under enquiry.
• In addition hypothesis must have
relevance with a theory under
test in a research process.

TESTABILITY
• Hypothesis should be testable
and should not be a moral
judgment.
• It should be directly or indirectly
measurable.

• It must be verifiable.
• E.g., a hypothesis such as “bad
parents produce bad children”.,
cannot be tested.

• A testable hypothesis clearly
states the manipulatable
independent variables and
measurable dependent variables
in specific population which
provides a clear idea about an
interventional protocol and
whether it will be implemented
precisely and consistently as a
treatment in the study.

• A good hypothesis states the
causal link between independent
and dependent variables, which
is later evaluated by using
inferential statistical tests.

CONSISTENCY
• A hypothesis should be consistent
with an existing body of theories,
research findings and other
hypothesis.
• It should correspond with existing
knowledge.

SIMPLICITY
• A hypothesis should be
formulated in simple and
understandable terms.
• It should require fewer
conditions and assumptions.

AVAILABILITY OF
TECHNIQUE
• The researcher must ensure that
scientific methods are available
for testing their proposed thesis.

PURPOSIVENESS
• The researcher must formulate
only purposeful hypothesis.
• Purposiveness refers to the
relevance of hypothesis to the
research problem and its
objectives.

VERIFIABILITY
• A good hypothesis should be
verifiable in practical terms.

PROFOUNDITY OF
EFFECT
• A good hypothesis should have
profound effect upon a variety of
research variables.

ECONOMICAL
• The expenditure of resources can
be controlled if the hypothesis
underlying the research that
which is undertaken is good.

SOURCES OF HYPOTHESIS
• Research
hypothesis are
generated from a
variety of sources
such as
theoretical or
conceptual
frameworks.

SOURCE-HYPOTHESIS
THEORITICAL
FRAMEWORK
PREVIOUS
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS -
SOURCE
ACADEMIC
LITERATURE
REAL LIFE
EXPERIENCES

THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
Theoretical framework or
conceptual framework are the
most important sources of
hypothesis.

• Through a deductive approach
these hypothesis are drawn for
testing them.
• E.g., Pavlov’s theory – a
hypothesis can be drawn about
modification of behaviour.

DEDUCTIVE REASONING

PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Findings or previous research
may be used for framing the
hypothesis for a new study that
have an area of relevance.

REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES
• Real life experiences may
contribute in the formulation of
hypothesis.

• Newton had life changing
experience of the falling of an
apple and formulated the
hypothesis that the earth
attracts all the mass towards its
center before generating a law of
gravity.

ACADEMIC LITERATURE
Academic literature is based on
formal theories, empirical
evidences, experiences,
observations and
conceptualizations of
academicians.

• These literatures may serve as
good source for formulating
hypothesis for research studies.

TYPES
1. SIMPLE or COMPLEX HYPOTHESIS.
2. ASSOCIATIVE or CAUSAL HYPOTHESIS.
3. DIRECTIONAL or NON DIRECTIONAL
HYPOTHESIS.
4. NULL or RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS.

SIMPLE/COMPLEX HYPOTHESIS
• SIMPLE HYPOTHESIS: It is a
statement which reflects the
relationship between two
variables.
• (E.g., low levels of hemoglobin &
risk of infection)

• COMPLEX HYPOTHESIS : It is a
statement which reflects the
relationship between more than
two variables.
• (E.g., satisfaction among patients
who are older & dwelling in rural
areas than those who are
younger & living in urban areas)

ASSOCIATIVE/CAUSAL
HYPOTHESIS
• ASSOCIATIVE HYPOTHESIS :
Reflects a relationship between
variables that occurs or exists in
natural settings without
manipulation.
• This hypothesis is use in
correlational research studies.

• CAUSAL HYPOTHESIS : Predicts
the cause-and-effect relationship
between two or more dependent
and independent variables in
experimental or interventional
setting, where independent
variable is manipulated by
researcher to examine the effect
on dependent variable.

DIRECTIONAL/NON
DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS
• DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS:
Specifies not only the
existence, but also the
expected direction of the
relationship between
variables.

• E.g., There is a positive
experience between years of
teaching experience and job
satisfaction among teachers.

• NON DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS :
Reflects the relationship
between two or more variables,
but it does not specify the
anticipated direction and nature
of relationship such as positive
or negative.

• It indicates the existence of
relationship between the
variables.
• E.g., There is a relationship
between years of teaching
experience and job satisfaction
among teachers.

NULL/RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
• NULL HYPOTHESIS (Ho) : It is also
known as STATITICAL
HYPOTHESIS. And is used for
statistical testing and
interpretation of statistical
outcomes.

• It states the existence of no
relationship between the
independent and dependent
variable.
• E.g., There is no relationship
between smoking and incidence
of lung cancer.

• RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS (H1) : It
states the existence of
relationship between two or
more variables.
• E.g., There is relationship
between smoking and incidence
of lung cancer.

THANK YOU