Forming a Good Hypothesis for Scientific Research

Forming a Good Hypothesis for Scientific Research Basics Print Forming a Good Hypothesis for Scientific Research By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on September 28, 2019 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on January 02, 2020 More in Psychology Basics Psychotherapy Student Resources History and Biographies Theories Phobias Emotions Sleep and Dreaming 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. For example, 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. Lets take a closer look at how a hypothesis is used, formed, and tested in scientific research. How Is a Hypothesis Used 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.?? The scientific method involves the following steps: Forming a questionPerforming background researchCreating a hypothesisDesigning an experimentCollecting dataAnalyzing the resultsDrawing conclusionsCommunicating the results The hypothesis is what the researchers predict the relationship between two or more variables, 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. 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. Unless you are creating a study that is exploratory in nature, your hypothesis should always explain what you  expect  to happen during the course of your experiment or research. Remember, a hypothesis does not have to be correct.?? 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. How Do Researchers Come up With a Hypothesis? 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 for a specific hypothesis that: People with high-stress levels will be more likely to contract a common cold after being exposed to the virus than are 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 When trying to come up with a good hypothesis for your own 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 on your topic. 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. How to Form a Hypothesis The first step of a psychological investigation is to identify an area of interest and develop a hypothesis that can then be tested. While a hypothesis is often described as a hunch or a guess, it is actually much more specific. A hypothesis can be defined as an educated guess about the relationship between two or more variables. For example, a researcher might be interested in the relationship between study habits and  test anxiety. The researcher would propose a hypothesis about how these two variables are related, such as Test anxiety decreases as a result of effective study habits. In order to form a hypothesis, you should take these steps: Start by collecting as many observations about something 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, it is important to think of ways that you could confirm or disprove each hypothesis through experimentation. This is known as falsifiability. Falsifiability In the scientific method,  falsifiability  is an important part of any valid hypothesis.?? In order to test a claim scientifically, it must be possible that the claim could also 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. The Role of Operational Definitions In the previous example, study habits and test anxiety are the two variables in this imaginary study. 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 exactly what each variable is using what is known as  operational definitions. These definitions explain how the variable will be manipulated and measured in the study. In the previous example, a researcher might operationally define the variable test anxiety  as the results of a self-report measure of anxiety experienced during an exam. The variable study habits might be defined by the amount of studying that actually occurs as measured by time. These precise descriptions of each variable 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.?? 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. 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 make changes to 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: Students who eat breakfast will perform better on a math exam than students who do not eat breakfast.Students who experience  test anxiety  prior to an English exam will get higher 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. A 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? 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 a researcher chooses depends largely on exactly what they are studying. There are two basic types of research methodsâ€"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.?? 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. That is to say that if 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 some cases, the original hypothesis will be supported and the researchers will find evidence supporting their expectations about the nature of the relationship between different variables. In other situations, the results of the study might fail to support the original hypothesis. Even in situations where the hypothesis is unsupported by the research, this does not mean that the research is without value. Not only does such research help us better understand how different aspects of the natural world relate to one another, but it also helps us develop new hypotheses that can then be tested in future research.