This document discusses hypotheses, including: 1. A hypothesis is a prediction about possible outcomes of a study used to direct research. An example hypothesis predicts staff trained in change management will cope better with organizational changes. 2. Hypotheses should explain facts, direct relevant data collection, and prevent blind searches. They clarify research goals. 3. For a hypothesis to be good, it must be clear, testable, consistent with facts, and better than alternative hypotheses.

1. Hypothesis
define and purpose

2. Part 1
define and purpose

3. What is a hypothesis?
• A hypothesis is a prediction of
some sort regarding the
possible outcomes of a study.

4. An example:
Research question:
Does training staff in change management help staff
to cope with change in their organizations?
Hypothesis:
Staff trained in change management copes easily with
change in their organizations.
Explain
This hypothesis predicts that the staffs that undergo
training in change management can easily cope with
changes that might occur in their organizations than
perhaps the staff that have not been trained in
change management.

5. Functions of Hypotheses
Hypothesis can provide direction to the research. A hypothesis contains
several concepts which are logically connected or arranged. The
interrelationships among the concepts give a clear answer to the problem
under study.
1. Hypothesis can explain all the facts connected with it.
2. Hypothesis helps us to provide direction to the research. A researcher
can decide what data are to be collected for the study on the basis of the
hypothesis.
3. Hypothesis helps us to provide directions to the research. A researcher
can decide what data are to be collected for the study on the basis of the
hypothesis.
4. Hypothesis prevents us from blind search. Hypothesis helps us to search
only for relevant facts. So it is helping us to save money and time.
5. Hypothesis can place clear and specific goals before the researcher.
6. Hypothesis acts as a guide to collect the relevant data related to the
problem.

6. Cont.
A hypothesis can suggest the expected
relationships between two or more variables.
If A and B are two variables a hypothesis
states the possible relationship between A and
B. This means that a hypothesis must have
two or more variables and it should reveal
how the variables are related to each other.

7. Features of a good hypothesis
1. A hypothesis must be conceptually clear. All the concepts used in
a hypothesis must be clearly defined.
2. A hypothesis must be empirically testable. Concepts which do not
have empirical basis must not be included in a hypothesis.
3. A hypothesis must be specific and precise. The possible
relationships among the variables must be precisely stated in a
hypothesis.
4. A hypothesis should be consistent with known facts.
5. A hypothesis must have a theoretical orientation. A good
hypothesis must be able to support or refute (deny) an existing
theory of social relations.
6. A hypothesis must be clear, definite and stated in a simple
manner.
7. A hypothesis must have reasonable explanation to any problem in
the present state of knowledge.

8. Characteristics of a good hypothesis
A good hypothesis should fulfill three
conditions. They are:
1. It must be adequate for its purpose.
2. It must be testable.
3. It must be better than its rivals.

9. adequate for its purpose
That is, it must clearly state the conditions, size
or distribution of some variable in terms of
values meaningful to the research task if it a
descriptive hypothesis. If it is an explanatory
hypothesis, it must explain the facts that give
rise to the need for explanation. Therefore,
using the hypothesis, one should be able to
deduce the original problem condition.

10. testable
If a hypothesis cannot be testable with the
existing techniques or it defies all the known
physical or psychological laws, then it is not
good.

11. better than its rivals
That is it must be able to explain the
phenomenon with more facts and with greater
variety of facts than do others. It is a better
hypothesis if it is simple and if it requires few
condition or assumptions.

12. Advantages
1. A hypothesis forces us to think more deeply and
specifically about the possible outcomes of a study.
It enables us to understand what the question
implies and exactly what variables are involved.
2. if one is attempting to build a body of knowledge in
addition to answering a specific question, then
stating hypothesis is a good strategy because it
enables one to make specific predictions based on
prior evidence or theoretical argument.
3. Hypothesis stating helps us to see if we are or are
not investigating a relationship.

13. Disadvantages
1. Stating a hypothesis may lead to a bias, either
consciously or unconsciously, on the part of the
researcher. This is because the researcher may be
tempted to arrange the procedures or manipulate the
data in such a way as to bring about a desired outcome.
This depends on the honesty of the researchers.
2. Stating hypothesis may sometimes be unnecessary, or
even inappropriate, in certain research projects of
certain types i.e., descriptive or ethnographic studies.
3. Stating hypothesis may prevent researchers from
noticing other phenomena that might be important to
study.

14. Part 2
Types of Hypothesis (3.3.2)

15. Directional versus Unidirectional
hypothesis or (Relational Hypothesis)
• A directional hypothesis is one in which the specific
direction (such as higher, lower, more or less) that a
researcher expects to emerge in a relationship is
indicated. The particular direction expected is based
on what the researcher has found in the literature,
from personal experience, or from the experience of
others.
• Non-directional hypothesis on the other hand does
not make a specific prediction about what direction
the outcome of a study will take.

16. Types of Hypotheses
1. Working Hypothesis
2. Scientific Hypothesis
3. Research Hypothesis
4. Descriptive Hypothesis
5. Explanatory Hypothesis

17. Working Hypothesis:
It is a preliminary assumption of the research worker about
the research topic. When accurate information regarding
the problem is not available we can develop some
assumptions.
These assumptions help us to design the final research
hypothesis.
For example, a researcher can state a working hypothesis
as 'assuring educational school increases the living standard
of a commodity'.
After collecting some data on the sale of that particular
commodity the researcher can develop his research
hypothesis as 'assuring high rates of educational school
increases the living standard of a commodity'.

18. Scientific Hypothesis:
It is the hypothesis based on
empirical data.

19. Research Hypothesis
It is the statement developed by the
researcher about some social fact.
The researcher wants to test whether the
statement is true or false by collecting and
analyzing relevant data. It forms the
temporary assumptions of the research
worker.

20. Descriptive Hypothesis
This is a hypothesis which describes the cause
and effect relationship of a phenomenon.
E.g.:- Group study helps to achieve high
marks in examinations.

21. Explanatory (Causal) Hypothesis
It explains the happening of a phenomenon.

22. • THANKS