1) A hypothesis is a tentative statement proposed for testing through scientific investigation. It predicts the relationship between two or more variables. 2) Hypotheses guide research design and analysis by specifying the variables to be studied and their expected relationships. 3) The main types of hypotheses are simple, complex, directional, non-directional, null, and alternative. Hypotheses can also be classified as associative, causal, statistical, or research hypotheses.

1. HYPOTHESES
S U B J E C T : N U R S I N G R E S E A R C H
U N I T - I V
BY:-
BAL JINDER SINGH
M SC.(N) MSN

2. INTRODUCTION
Hypotheses is usually considered as the
principal instrument is research . Its main function
is to suggest new instruments and observations.
Decision-makers often face situations wherein they
are interested in testing hypotheses it is based on
the basis of available information and take
decisions the basis of such testing. It is often used
strategy for deciding. Thus hypothesis testing
enables us to make probability statement about
population parameters. The hypothesis may not be
proved absolutely, but in practice it is accepted if it
has withstood a critical testing.

3. MEANING:
Etymologically hypotheses is made up to two
wards, “hypo” (less than) and “thesis” which
mean less than or less certain than a thesis.
It is the presumptive statement of a proposition
or a reasonable guess, based upon the available
evidence, which the researcher seeks to prove
through his study.

4. DEFINITION
ACCORDING TO HILWAY (1964, P. 123), THE
HYPOTHESIS MAY BE CONVENIENTLY
CONSIDERED AS A TENTATIVE OR WORKING
ASSUMPTION AND THE THEORY AS THE
SURVIVING OR FINAL HYPOTHESIS WHICH IS
MOST DEFENSIBLY SUPPORTED BY ALL THE
EVIDENCE.
According to KERLINGER (1986) has defined a
hypothesis as a “ Conjecture statement of the relations
between two or more variables.”
POLIT & HUNGLER (1995) Presented a similar
definition by calling a hypothesis is a “ tentative
prediction or explanation of the relationship between
two or more variables.”

5. A HYPOTHESIS IS THE FORMAL
STATEMENT OF THE EXPECTED
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TWO OR
MORE VARIABLES IN A SPECIFIED
POPULATION.
( NANCY BURNS )
A RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS IS A “
PREDICTIVE STATEMENT, CAPABLE OF
BEING TESTED BY SCIENTIFIC METHODS,
THAT RELATES AN INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE TO SOME DEPENDENT
VARIABLES

6. PURPOSES
• Objectivity to scientific investigations by
pinpointing a specific part of theory to be tested.
• Through hypotheses, theoretical propositions can be
tested in the real world.
• The investigator can then advance scientific
knowledge by supporting or failing to support the
tested theory
• Negative findings are sometimes as important as
positive ones.

7. • It guide the research design and dictate the type of
statistical analysis to be used with the data.
• Provides the reader with an understanding of the
researchers expectations about the study before data
collection begins.
• It includes the variables to be manipulated or
measured, identifies the population to be examined,
indicates the type of research & directs the
conducts of the study.
• Hypothesis are developed to direct the testing of
new treatments and are often viewed as tools for
uncovering ideas rather than ends in themselves.

8. CHARACTERISTICS:
• Hypothesis should be clear and precise
• Hypothesis should be capable of being tested.
• Hypothesis should state relationship between variables, if it
happens to be a rational hypothesis.
• Hypothesis should be limited in scope and must be specific.
• Hypothesis should be stated as far as possible
understandable by all concerned.
• Hypothesis should be consistent with most known facts i.e
it must be consistent with a substantial body of established
facts.
• Hypothesis should be amenable to testing within a
reasonable time.
• Hypothesis must explain the facts that gave rise to the need
for explanation.

9. ELEMENTS OF
HYPOTHESIS:
• Independent Variable
• Dependent Variable
• Relation
• Population
• Level of Significance
• Direction

10. CRITERIA OF USABLE
HYPOTHESES
• Hypotheses should be clearly & precisely stated.
• Hypotheses should be testable.
• Hypotheses should state the expected relationship
between variables.
• Hypotheses should be limited in scope.
• Hypothesis should be consistent with most known
facts.
• Hypotheses should be stated as far as possible in
simple terms.
• The hypotheses selected should be amenable to testing
within a reasonable time .

11. CLASSIFICATIONS OF
HYPOTHESES
According to author Laura A Talbot Classification is
• Simple hypotheses
• Complex hypothesis.
• Directional hypothesis.
• Non – directional hypothesis.
• Null hypothesis.
• Alternative hypothesis. .
• Statistical hypotheses
• Research hypotheses

12. According to Author Nancy Burns it is classified as:
• Associative hypotheses
• Causal hypotheses
• Simple hypotheses
• Complex hypotheses
• Non directional hypotheses
• Directional hypotheses
• Null hypotheses
• Research hypotheses

13. 1) SIMPLE HYPOTHESES
A simple hypotheses is a hypotheses that
expresses an expected relationship between one
independent and one dependent variable.
A simple hypotheses could be called bivariate.
It states a relationship between a single independent
variable and a single dependent variable.
Example – Older patients are more at risk
experiencing a fall than younger patients .Here age
is independent variable and risk of fall is dependent
variable .

14. 2) COMPLEX HYPOTHESES
A complex hypotheses refers to a prediction of a relationship
between two (or more) independent variables and / two (or more)
dependent variables.
• Sometimes, complex hypotheses are referred to as multivariate
hypotheses because they involve multiple variables.
• A complex hypotheses concerns a relationship where two or
more independent variables, two or more dependent variables or
both, are being examined in the same study.
• Example Smoking and consumption of alcohol during pregnancy
might lead to low birth weight and lower Apgar Score infants. Here
two independent and two dependent variables.
• Example (1) Among women with multiple sclerosis, functional
limitations (y) are influenced by the women’s external resources,
such as their education (x1), marital status (x2), social support (x3),
employment status (x4) and perceived economic adequacy (x5),
this is a example of multiple independent variables

15. 3) DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES
A directional hypotheses is one that specifies not
only the existence but also the expected direction of
the relationship between variables. That is, the
researcher predicts not only the existence of a
relationship but also the nature of the relationship.
Example- Person petting a dog with whom
they have a companion bond will experience a greater
reduction in heart rate and B.P than when petting an
unknown dog.

16. 4) NONDIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES
A non directional hypotheses by contrast, does not
stipulate the direction of the relationship.
E.g.: There will be a difference between mean
pretest knowledge score and mean post knowledge
score of staff Nurses who received STP at 0.05 level
of significance.
In a non directional research hypothesis the
researcher merely predicts that a relationship exists. In
this, the researcher further predicts the type of
relationship between the variables which is turn
specifies the expected direction of the treatment effect.

17. 5) NULL HYPOTHESIS 
Symbol –H0
It is also known as statistical hypotheses .
• Null hypotheses stated that there is no relationship
between the independent and dependent variables.
• The null hypothesis is a statement about a status quo that
asserts that any change from what has been thought to
true will be due entirely to random sampling error.
• It relates to a statistical method of interpreting conclusions
about population characteristics inferred from the variable
relationship observed in sample. The null form is a
statement that asserts that observed differences or
relationships merely result from chance errors inherent in
the sampling process.
• Example- The mean post-test knowledge score of
antenatal mother who received STP will not be
higher than mean pretest knowledge score at 0.05 level of
significance.
• Example There is no difference between the mean IQ’s
athletes and non-ablates. The null hypotheses states that

18. 6) ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS:
Symbol  H1, Ha
• It is stated in the study that the expected
relationship between variables
• .Example- Knowledge of medical terminology
among clients & families. The hypotheses
proposed that “ there is a significant difference
between nurses is usually stated in a
form postulating the attributes of a
phenomenon perpection of clients and
. Knowledge of medical terms and their actual
knowledge of medical terms.”
.
• Null hypotheses versus alternative hypotheses is most important.

19. 7) CASUAL HYPOTHESES:
• This is a hypothesis to identify cause and
effect interaction between two or more
variables.
• Example-Persons who participate in nurse
managed home telemonitoring and nurse
managed community based monitoring for
usual care will have greater improvement in
blood pressure from baseline to three
follow up care receiver.

20. 8) ASSOCIATE HYPOTHESIS:
• It proposes relationships among variables
that occur or exist together in the real world.
• It identify relationship among variables in a
study but do not indicate that one variable
causes an effect on another variable
• Example- Positive relationship exist among
dysponea ,fatigue and sleep difficulty in
people with COPD..

21. 9)STATISTICAL HYPOTHESIS:
• It is defined as the null & alternative hypothesis
written in statistical terms.
• Example- Ho; uı = u2 (null)
U1 = Population mean 1
U2= population mean 2
H1: u1>u2 (alternative)
(There is a difference between the two means

22. 10) RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS:
It makes a prediction about the
outcome of study and about the
relationship between variables.
• E.g. Both men and women who
participated in the cardiac home
information programme intervention
would have lower levels of
distress than would women and men
who did not participate in such a
program.
Hypotheses in short term
Ho – Null hypotheses.
H1 – Research hypotheses.

23. • FUNCTIONS OF HYPOTHESES
• To test theories.
• To suggest theories
• To describe social phenomena.
• To help in formulating social policy, say, for
rural communities, slums in urban
educational institutions, solutions to various
kinds of social problems.
• To assist in refuting certain ‘common sense’
notions e.g. men are more intelligent than
women.
• To indicate need for change in systems and
structures by providing new knowledge.

24. ADVANTAGES OF HYPOTHESES
• 1.Hypothesis build researches confidence in his results:
• 2. Sound hypothesis gives direction to the inquiry:
• 3. A good hypothesis enriches theory:

25. DISADVANTAGES OF HYPOTHESIS
.It may bias the investigator towards a particular position and
cause him to lose objectivity. This need not always be so if the
investigator conceives a hypothesis merely as an assumption
which he or she should consider and not as a positions which
he/ she should consider and not as a positions which he / she
should defend.

26. COMPONENTS OF THE HYPOTHESES STATEMENT
• 1.PROBLEM STATEMENT AND PURPOSE :-
The hypotheses must have the same population,
variables and predicted out come as stated in the
problem statement and purpose.
2. TARGET POPULATION:
The target population is stated in the hypotheses in the
form of a sample. This is the group of subjects or
to get the out come and to which the findings will be
generalized.
• 3.RESEARCH VARIABLES
The variables in the hypothesis must be measurable;
Variables are characteristics or attributes that differ
among research subjects. They vary or have different
values..
• 4. PREDICTED OUTCOME
• The hypothesis predicts the exact relationship
anticipated between the variables..

27. 5. DECLARATIVE STATEMENT
The hypothesis should be a declarative statement written in the
present tense, although it is not unusual to see it written in the
future tense in the literature.. .
7.THEORY BASED
A hypothesis is a prediction based on a theory or a specific
of a theory. The purpose of a study is to test the theory or
theoretical prepositions
4. PREDICTED OUTCOME
The hypothesis predicts the exact
relationship
anticipated between the variables

28. ROLE OF HYPOTHESES IN NURSING RESEARCH
• 1.A hypothesis gives a definite to the investigation,
and it guides the direction on the study..
• 2. A hypothesis specifies the sources of data, which
shall be studied and in what context they shall be
studied.
• 3. It determines the data needs. It defines which
fact are relevant and which are not. 4. A hypothesis
suggest which type of research is likely to be more
appropriate.
• 5. It determines the most appropriate technique of
analysis.
• 6.A hypotheses contributes to the development of
theory. It links theory and investigation.

29. TESTING OF HYPOTHESIS:
• State the research hypothesis
• Formulate null hypothesis
• Choose a statistical test
• Specify a significance test
• Compute the statistical test
• Reject or accept the H0
• Draw the inference

30. ERROR OF THE HYPOTHESIS:
• Type I Error (ά)- An error created by rejecting the null
hypotheses when it is true e.g. the researcher concludes that a
relationship exists when , it fact , it doesn’t ..
• Type II Error ( )-An error created by accepting the null
hypotheses when it is false . e.g. The researcher concludes
that no relationship exists when it fact, it does.

31. CONCLUSIONA hypothesis attempts to answer the question
posed by the research problem. When testing the
validity of the theoretical frame work’s
assumptions, the hypothesis bridges the
theoretical and real worlds.
Research questions may be used instead of
hypotheses in exploratory or qualitative research
studies. Research questions may also be
formulated in addition to hypotheses to answer
questions related to ancillary data. The reader
evaluates the wording of the hypotheses in terms
of the clarity of the rational statement, the
implications for testability and its congruence with
a theory base. Hypotheses are never proved or
disproved in an ultimate sense. they are accepted
or rejected, supported or not supported by the
data.