Lecture 6 Formulation of Hypothesis Lecture Outlines Definition

Lecture – 6 Formulation of Hypothesis

Lecture Outlines �Definition and meaning of hypothesis �Variable – independent and dependent variables �Types of hypothesis �Importance of hypothesis �Characteristics of good hypothesis �Testing of hypothesis

Hypothesis �A hypothesis is a specific statement of prediction �It serves as an effective guide for future inquiry �Hypothesis is a proposition, which is put to a test to determine its validity (Goode and Hatt) �A hypothesis is a casual relationship between two or more variables (Kerlinger)

�Usually there are two variables in a hypothesis �Independent variable and �Dependent variable �A variable is defined as anything that has a quantity or quality that varies. The dependent variable is the variable a researcher is interested in. An independent variable is a variable believed to affect the dependent variable. �In sociology, the hypothesis will often predict how one form of human behavior influences another. In research, independent variables are the cause of the change. The dependent variable is the effect, or thing that is changed.

Hypothesis Examples �In the absence of good leadership (independent variable), there can be no good use of resources (dependent) for development �Counseling (Independent) increases creativity (dependent) among students �Smoking (Independent) causes cancer (dependent) �Economic development (independent) leads to improve female education (dependent)

Types of Hypothesis �Research Hypothesis �Null Hypothesis �Research Hypothesis: The authoritarian behaviour of parents is productive for the better morality of their children �Null Hypothesis: The authoritarian behaviour of parents is not productive for the better morality of their children

Importance of Hypothesis � Hypothesis helps investigators to establish the direction of the research � It set up definite point of enquiry � Save of time, money and energy � It prevent researcher from blind search of literature and indiscriminate gathering of data � Hypothesis acts as a guide to the whole research activity � It helps in creating link between theory and investigation � It helps in arriving at proper conclusion of the study � The researcher should not struggle for the correctness of his/her hypothesis

Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis �Must have a cause and effects relationship between variables �It should be clearly stated �It should be relevant to the problem under investigation �A hypothesis must be simple and specific �It should be capable of being tested with the help of data �

Testing of Hypothesis �Statisticians follow a formal process to determine whether to reject a null hypothesis, based on sample data. This process is called hypothesis testing. �State the Hypothesis: this involves stating the null and alternative hypothesis. The hypothesis are stated in such a way that they are mutually exclusive. That is, if one if true, the other must be false.