Hypothesis in research

1. By
Dr. Sameer Singh Faujdar
Assistant Professor
Department of Microbiology
M. M. Medical College & Hospital, Solan (HP)

2. Hypothesis
 Importance of Hypothesis
 Characteristics of Hypothesis
 Formulation of Hypothesis
 Forms of Hypothesis
 Types of Hypothesis

3. Importance of Hypothesis
 It gives focus and direction to the study and prevents Random
Empirical Warning i e blind research and gathering irrelevant
data
 It sensitizes the investigator to the major aspects to be
considered i e Goals Tools, Sample, Design etc.
 It helps to understand the problem batter and hence helps us to
correct the different entries of the study.
 In Research work ,a hypothesis is needed to clarify the issues at
stake and to crystallize the problem for investigation.
 A Hypothesis serves as a powerful bacon that lights the way for
the Research Worker.

4. Characteristics of Hypothesis
1. Hypothesis means less than or less certain than a thesis
2. Presumptive statement of a proposition
3. It is a tentative or working proposition
4. Hypothesis considered as a powerful tool to achieve
dependable knowledge.
5. Hypothesis helps the researcher to relate theory to
observation and observation to theory.
6. Hypothesis enables to locate and identify variables
involved and suggest Methodological Procedures.
7. It is recognizes more in studies which aim to make
prediction about some outcome.

5. 8. It provides direction to the research
9. It provides rational statement
10. It facilitates the extension of knowledge in the
Research Area
11. It provides tentative explanation of facts and
phenomena which can be Tested and Validated.
12. In experiment research hypothesis should be
mandatory .
13. Relationship among the variables.
14. Hypothesis follows “Deductive ” as well as “Inductive”
reasoning .

6. 15. Hypothesis also follows Analogy .
16. Hypothesis should be clearly and precisely stated .
17. Hypothesis should be Tested
18. Hypothesis should state the expected relationship
between variables.
19. Hypothesis should be limited in scope .
20. Hypothesis should be consistent with most known fact.
21. Hypothesis selected should be amenable to testing
within a reasonable time.

7. Formulation of Hypothesis
 Hypotheses are guesses or tentative generalization, but
these guesses are not merely accidents. Collection of
factual information alone does not lead to successful
formulation of hypotheses.
 There are no precise rules for formulating hypotheses and
deductive consequences from them that can be
Empirically verified.
 There are certain necessary conditions that are conducive
of their formulation. Some of them are:

8. 1. Richness of background knowledge:-
 A researcher may deduce hypotheses inductively after
making observation of behavior, noticing trends or
probable relationships.
2. Versatility of intellect:-
 Hypotheses are also derived through deductive
reasoning from a theory. Such hypotheses are called
“deductive hypotheses”. A researcher may being a
study by selecting one of the theories in his own area
of interest, after selecting the particular theory, the
researcher proceeds to deduce a hypothesis from this
theory through symbolic logic or mathematics.

9. 3. Analogy and other practices:-
 Analogies also lead the researcher to clues that he may
find useful in the formulation of hypotheses and for
findings solutions to problems. The researcher should
use analogies with caution as they are not fool proof
tools for findings solutions to problems.

10. Forms of Hypothesis
1) Directional Hypothesis: -
 The hypotheses which stipulate the direction of the
expected differences or relationships are termed as
“Directional Hypotheses”.
 For example, “there will be a positive relationship
between individual’s attitude towards Doctors and
their socio-economic status”.
 “Adolescent boys with high IQ will exhibit low anxiety
than adolescent boys with low IQ”

11. 2) Non Directional Hypotheses:-
 A research hypothesis which does not specify the
direction of expected differences or relationship is a “Non-
directional Hypothesis”.
 For example: “There will be difference in the adaptability
of fathers and mothers towards rearing of their children”.
 “There is a difference in the anxiety level of adolescent
girls of high IQ and low IQ”

12. 3) Declarative hypothesis:-
 When the researcher makes a “positive statement”
about the outcomes of the study, the hypothesis takes
the Declarative form.
 For Example, the hypothesis: “The academic
achievement of extroverts is significantly higher
than that of the Introverts”.

13. 4) Null Hypothesis:
 In the Null form, the researcher makes a statement
that no relationship exists.
 “There is no established relation between patient
severity and CT value of RT-PCR in case of Covid-19” is
an example of Null Hypothesis.
 Since Null hypothesis can be tested statistically, they
are often termed as Statistical Hypotheses.

14. 5) Question Hypothesis:-
 In the question form hypothesis, a question is asked as
to what the outcome will be, instead of stating what
out come is expected.
 Suppose a researcher is interested in knowing whether
programmed instruction has any relationship to test
anxiety of children.
 “will teaching children through programmed
instruction decrease their test anxiety?”

15. Types of Hypothesis
 Simple Hypothesis
 Complex Hypothesis
 Working or Research Hypothesis
 Null hypothesis
 Alternative hypothesis
 Logical Hypothesis
 Statistical hypothesis

16. Simple Hypothesis:
 A simple Hypothesis is a Hypothesis that reflects or
show a Relationship between Two Variables-
Independent and Dependent Variable.
 For Example, Higher the unemployment, higher would
be the rate of crime in society.

17. Complex Hypothesis:
 A Complex Hypothesis is a Hypothesis that reflects
relationship …more than Two Variables.
 For example, Higher the Poverty, higher the illiteracy
in a society, higher will be rate of crime (Three
Variables-Two Independent and One Dependent).

18. Working or Research Hypothesis:
 A Hypothesis, that is accepted to put to rest and work on in
a research, is called a “Research Hypothesis”.
 It is a Hypothesis that assumed to be suitable to explain
certain facts and relationship of phenomena. It is
hoped that this Hypothesis would generate a productive
theory and is accepted to put to test for investigation.
 It can be any Hypothesis that is processed for work during
the research.
 For example, the hypothesis: “Medicinal plant extracts
have excellent Antibacterial activity against bacteria
causing human infections”.

19. Alternative Hypothesis:
 If the Working Hypothesis is proved wrong or
Rejected, another Hypothesis (to replace the Working
Hypothesis) is formulated to be tested to generate the
desired result - this is known as “Alternative
hypothesis”.
 As the name mentions, it is an alternate assumption (a
relationship or an explanation) which is adopted after
the Working Hypothesis fails to generate required
theory.

20. Statistical Hypothesis:
 A Hypothesis, that can be verified statistically, is
known as a Statistical Hypothesis.
 It can be any Hypothesis that has the quality of being
verified statistically. It means using quantitative
techniques, to generate statistical data, can easily
verified it. It can also be said that the variable in a
Statistical hypothesis can be transformed into
quantifiable sub-variable to test it statistically.

21. Logical Hypothesis
 A Hypothesis, that can be verified logically, is known
as a “Logical Hypothesis”.
 It is a Hypothesis expressing a relationship whose inter
links can be joined on the basis of logical explanation.
It can be verified by logical evidence. Being verified
logically does not necessarily mean that it can not be
verified statistically.
 It may or may not be verified statistically but it
can be verified Logically.