Verywell / Alex Dos Diaz
Table of Contents
The Scientific Method
Hypothesis Format
Falsifiability of a Hypothesis
Operational Definitions
Types of Hypotheses
Hypotheses Examples
Collecting Data
Frequently Asked Questions
A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or
more variables. It is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to
happen in a study.
One hypothesis example would be a study designed to look at the
relationship between sleep deprivation and test performance might have a
hypothesis that states: "This study is designed to assess the hypothesis that
sleep-deprived people will perform worse on a test than individuals who are
not sleep-deprived."
This article explores how a hypothesis is used in psychology research, how to
write a good hypothesis, and the different types of hypotheses you might
use.
The Hypothesis in the Scientific Method
In the scientific method, whether it involves research in psychology, biology,
or some other area, a hypothesis represents what the researchers think will
happen in an experiment.1 The scientific method involves the following steps:
1. Forming a question
2. Performing background research
3. Creating a hypothesis
4. Designing an experiment
5. Collecting data
6. Analyzing the results
7. Drawing conclusions
8. Communicating the results
The hypothesis is a prediction, but it involves more than a guess. Most of the
time, the hypothesis begins with a question which is then explored through
background research. It is only at this point that researchers begin to
develop a testable hypothesis. Unless you are creating an exploratory study,
your hypothesis should always explain what you expect to happen.
In a study exploring the effects of a particular drug, the hypothesis might be
that researchers expect the drug to have some type of effect on the
symptoms of a specific illness. In psychology, the hypothesis might focus on
how a certain aspect of the environment might influence a particular
behavior.
Remember, a hypothesis does not have to be correct. 1 While the hypothesis
predicts what the researchers expect to see, the goal of the research is to
determine whether this guess is right or wrong. When conducting an
experiment, researchers might explore a number of factors to determine
which ones might contribute to the ultimate outcome.
In many cases, researchers may find that the results of an experiment do
not support the original hypothesis. When writing up these results, the
researchers might suggest other options that should be explored in future
studies.
Hypothesis Format
In many cases, researchers might draw a hypothesis from a specific theory
or build on previous research. For example, prior research has shown that
stress can impact the immune system. So a researcher might hypothesize:
"People with high-stress levels will be more likely to contract a common cold
after being exposed to the virus than people who have low-stress levels."
In other instances, researchers might look at commonly held beliefs or folk
wisdom. "Birds of a feather flock together" is one example of folk wisdom
that a psychologist might try to investigate. The researcher might pose a
specific hypothesis that "People tend to select romantic partners who are
similar to them in interests and educational level."
Elements of a Good Hypothesis
So how do you write a good hypothesis? When trying to come up with a
hypothesis for your research or experiments, ask yourself the following
questions:
Is your hypothesis based on your research on a topic?
Can your hypothesis be tested?
Does your hypothesis include independent and dependent variables?
Before you come up with a specific hypothesis, spend some time doing
background research. Once you have completed a literature review, start
thinking about potential questions you still have. Pay attention to the
discussion section in the journal articles you read. Many authors will suggest
questions that still need to be explored.
To form a hypothesis, you should take these steps:
Collect as many observations about a topic or problem as you can.
Evaluate these observations and look for possible causes of the
problem.
Create a list of possible explanations that you might want to explore.
After you have developed some possible hypotheses, think of ways
that you could confirm or disprove each hypothesis through
experimentation. This is known as falsifiability.
Falsifiability of a Hypothesis
In the scientific method, falsifiability is an important part of any valid
hypothesis.1 In order to test a claim scientifically, it must be possible that the
claim could be proven false.
Students sometimes confuse the idea of falsifiability with the idea that it
means that something is false, which is not the case. What falsifiability
means is that if something was false, then it is possible to demonstrate that
it is false.
One of the hallmarks of pseudoscience is that it makes claims that cannot be
refuted or proven false.
Operational Definitions
A variable is a factor or element that can be changed and manipulated in
ways that are observable and measurable. However, the researcher must
also define how the variable will be manipulated and measured in the study.
For example, a researcher might operationally define the variable "test
anxiety" as the results of a self-report measure of anxiety experienced
during an exam. A "study habits" variable might be defined by the amount of
studying that actually occurs as measured by time.
These precise descriptions are important because many things can be
measured in a number of different ways. One of the basic principles of any
type of scientific research is that the results must be replicable. 1 By clearly
detailing the specifics of how the variables were measured and manipulated,
other researchers can better understand the results and repeat the study if
needed.
Some variables are more difficult than others to define. How would you
operationally define a variable such as aggression? For obvious ethical
reasons, researchers cannot create a situation in which a person behaves
aggressively toward others.
In order to measure this variable, the researcher must devise a
measurement that assesses aggressive behavior without harming other
people. In this situation, the researcher might utilize a simulated task to
measure aggressiveness.
Hypothesis Checklist
Does your hypothesis focus on something that you can actually test?
Does your hypothesis include both an independent and dependent
variable?
Can you manipulate the variables?
Can your hypothesis be tested without violating ethical standards?
Types of Hypotheses
The hypothesis you use will depend on what you are investigating and
hoping to find. Some of the main types of hypotheses that you might use
include:
Simple hypothesis: This type of hypothesis suggests that there is a
relationship between one independent variable and one dependent
variable.
Complex hypothesis: This type of hypothesis suggests a relationship
between three or more variables, such as two independent variables
and a dependent variable.
Null hypothesis: This hypothesis suggests no relationship exists
between two or more variables.
Alternative hypothesis: This hypothesis states the opposite of the
null hypothesis.
Statistical hypothesis: This hypothesis uses statistical analysis to
evaluate a representative sample of the population and then
generalizes the findings to the larger group.
Logical hypothesis: This hypothesis assumes a relationship between
variables without collecting data or evidence.
Hypotheses Examples
A hypothesis often follows a basic format of "If {this happens} then {this will
happen}." One way to structure your hypothesis is to describe what will
happen to the dependent variable if you change the independent variable.
The basic format might be: "If {these changes are made to a certain
independent variable}, then we will observe {a change in a specific
dependent variable}."
A few examples of simple hypotheses:
"Students who eat breakfast will perform better on a math exam than
students who do not eat breakfast."
Complex hypothesis: "Students who experience test anxiety before an
English exam will get lower scores than students who do not
experience test anxiety."
"Motorists who talk on the phone while driving will be more likely to
make errors on a driving course than those who do not talk on the
phone."
Examples of a complex hypothesis include:
"People with high-sugar diets and sedentary activity levels are more
likely to develop depression."
"Younger people who are regularly exposed to green, outdoor areas
have better subjective well-being than older adults who have limited
exposure to green spaces."
Examples of a null hypothesis include:
"Children who receive a new reading intervention will have scores
different than students who do not receive the intervention."
"There will be no difference in scores on a memory recall task between
children and adults."
Examples of an alternative hypothesis:
"Children who receive a new reading intervention will perform better
than students who did not receive the intervention."
"Adults will perform better on a memory task than children."
Collecting Data on Your Hypothesis
Once a researcher has formed a testable hypothesis, the next step is to
select a research design and start collecting data. The research method
depends largely on exactly what they are studying. There are two basic
types of research methods: descriptive research and experimental research.
Descriptive Research Methods
Descriptive research such as case studies, naturalistic observations, and
surveys are often used when it would be impossible or difficult to conduct an
experiment.1 These methods are best used to describe different aspects of a
behavior or psychological phenomenon.
Once a researcher has collected data using descriptive methods,
a correlational study can then be used to look at how the variables are
related. This type of research method might be used to investigate a
hypothesis that is difficult to test experimentally.
Experimental Research Methods
Experimental methods are used to demonstrate causal relationships
between variables. In an experiment, the researcher systematically
manipulates a variable of interest (known as the independent variable) and
measures the effect on another variable (known as the dependent variable).
Unlike correlational studies, which can only be used to determine if there is a
relationship between two variables, experimental methods can be used to
determine the actual nature of the relationship—whether changes in one
variable actually cause another to change.
A Word From Verywell
The hypothesis is a critical part of any scientific exploration. It represents
what researchers expect to find in a study or experiment. In situations where
the hypothesis is unsupported by the research, the research still has value.
Such research helps us better understand how different aspects of the
natural world relate to one another. It also helps us develop new hypotheses
that can then be tested in the future.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you write a hypothesis?
Some examples of how to write a hypothesis include:
o "Staying up late will lead to worse test performance the
next day."
o "People who consume one apple each day will visit the
doctor fewer times each year."
o "Breaking study sessions up into three 20-minute
sessions will lead to better test results than a single 60-
minute study session."
What are the four parts of a hypothesis?
The four parts of a hypothesis are:
1. The research question
2. The independent variable (IV)
3. The dependent variable (DV)
4. The proposed relationship between the IV and DV
1 Source
By Kendra Cherry, MSEd
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist,
psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."