Introduction to Hypothesis

1. Introduction to Hypothesis Dr. RajaniRanjan Singh Associate Professor in Education Additional Director (Research) VardhamanMahaveer Open University Kota (Rajasthan)

2. Features of Hypothesis • Simple, specific, and contextually clear • Capable of verification • Related to the existing body of knowledge • Must explain the proposed relationship between or among variables • Operationalisable

3. Types of Hypothesis • Research /Working hypothesis • Null hypothesis • Alternate hypothesis Working hypothesis The Research /working or trail hypothesis is provisionally adopted to explain the relationship between some observed facts for guiding a researcher in the investigation of a problem. A Statement constitutes a trail or working hypothesis (which) is to be tested and conformed, modifies or even abandoned as the investigation proceeds.

4. A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. • A scientific hypothesis is a proposed explanation of a phenomenon which still has to be rigorously tested. In contrast, a scientific theory has undergone extensive testing and is generally accepted to be the accurate explanation behind an observation. • A research/working hypothesis is a provisionally accepted hypothesis proposed for further research.

5. In statistical hypothesis testing two hypotheses are compared, which are called the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis. The null hypothesis is the hypothesis that states that there is no relation between the phenomena whose relation is under investigation, or at least not of the form given by the alternative hypothesis. • The alternative hypothesis, as the name suggests, is the alternative to the null hypothesis: it states that there is some kind of relation. The alternative hypothesis may take several forms, depending on the nature of the hypothesized relation; in particular, it can be two-sided (for example: there is some effect, in a yet unknown direction) or one-sided (the direction of the hypothesized relation, positive or negative, is fixed in advance).

6. Types of Hypothesis Null hypothesis A null hypothesis is formulated against the working hypothesis; opposes the statement of the working hypothesis ....it is contrary to the positive statement made in the working hypothesis; formulated to disprove the contrary of a working hypothesis When a researcher rejects a null hypothesis, he/she actually proves a working hypothesis In statistics, to mean a null hypothesis usually Ho is used. For example, Ho Q = O where Q is the property of the population under investigation O is hypothetical

7. Types Alternative hypothesis: An alternate hypothesis is formulated when a researcher totally rejects null hypothesis He/she develops such a hypothesis with adequate reasons The notion used to mean alternate hypothesis is H1Q>O i.e., Q is greater than O

8. Examples • Working hypothesis: No. of students influences the number of schools in city. • Null hypothesis (Ho): No. of students influences the number of schools in city do not have any influence on the number of schools in a city. • Alternate hypothesis (H1): No. of students influences the number of schools in city do have influence on the number of schools in a city.