Hypothesis

By

Dr. Anamika RayAssistant Professor in Mass Communication

Gauhati University, Assam, India

CONCEPT OF HYPOTHESIS

A hypothesis is an postulation about relations between variables.

It is tentative elucidation of the research problem or a speculation about the research upshot.

According to Theodorson and Theodorson “a hypothesis is a tentative statement asserting a relationship between certain facts”

CITERIA FOR HYPOTHESIS CONSTRUCTION

1. It should be empirically testable, whether it is right or wrong.

2. It should be specific and precise.

3. The statement in the hypothesis should not be contradictory and incongruous .

4. It should specify variables between which the relationship is to be established.

5. It should describe one issue only.

6. There is no scope for ambiguity.

NATURE OF HYPOTHESIS

It must accurately affect the revelevant sociological fact.

It must not be in contradiction with approved relevant statements of other scientific disciplines.

It must consider the experience of other researchers.

THEORY SAYS…….

Hypothesis is a set of assumptions considering two main purposes- to understand and to predict (Theordorson and Theordorson) .

TYPES OF HYPOTHESIS

Broadly the hypothesis can be classified into six categories.

1) Working hypothesis: Working hypothesis is a preliminary researcher’s assumption on the research topic.

1) Scientific hypothesis: Scientific hypothesis contains statement based on sufficient theoretical and empirical data.

3) Alternative Hypothesis: Alternative Hypothesis is a set of (null) which states the opposite of research hypothesis. Conventionally a null hypothesis or hypothesis of no difference is formulated as an alternative hypothesis. A Hypothesis stipulating no difference between two situations, groups, out comes is called null hypothesis which is written as Ho.

3) Research Hypothesis: Research Hypothesis is a researcher’s proposition about some social facts. It is just opposite to null hypothesis and is written as H1.

4) Statistical Hypothesis: Statistical Hypothesis is a statement / observation about statistical populations that one seeks to support.

DIFFICULTIES IN FORMULATING HYPOTHESIS

Inability to assume properly the out come of the research.

Inability to phrase and frame it to fulfil the requirement

Absence of theoretical framework

Lack of ability to utilise theoretical framework logically

CHARACTERISTICS OF HYPOTHESIS

It must be conceptually clear

It should be empirically referents

It should be specific, brief and to the point

It should be related to available techniques

It should be related to a body of theory

It should maintain the balance with the objectives

It should be testable

It should be very much comprehensive

SOURCES OF DERIVING HYPOTHESIS

Cultural values of society

Past Research

Folk wisdom

Discussions and conversations

Personal Experiences

Institution

Literature Review of the prefixed research topic

Relevant research journal, dissertation, thesis

FUNCTIONS OF HYPOTHESIS

To guide social research by offering direction to the structure.

To offer temporary answer to the research question

To facilitate statistical analysis of variables in the context of hypothesis testing.

To frame the research design.

To decide the research methodology.

FARTHER READING

Ahuja.R (2014), Research Method, RawatPublication, New Delhi