The document discusses the importance of formulating a specific hypothesis in research, which guides the study by providing clarity, focus, and direction. It defines various types of hypotheses, including simple, complex, null, and alternative, and emphasizes that a hypothesis can be tested and either accepted or rejected based on the results. Effective hypotheses should be relevant, specific, testable, and free from personal bias, ultimately contributing to the body of knowledge in the respective field.

2. Hypothesis(es) Introduction
After extensive literature survey, researcher should state in clear
terms the hypotheses.
Hypothesis should be very specific and limited to the piece of
research in hand because it has to be tested.
The role of hypothesis is to guide the research by delimiting the
area of research and keep him on the right track.
It sharpens his thinking and focuses attention on the more
important facets of the problem.
Hypothesis formulation is not a necessary but an important step
of the research. A valid and reasonable research can be
conducted without any hypothesis.

3. Hypothesis(es) Introduction
Hypothesis simply means a mere assumption or
some supposition to be proved or disproved.
Research hypothesis is a predictive statement
capable of being tested by scientific methods
that relates an IV to some DV.
Example: The automobile A is performing as well as
automobile B
Students who receive counselling will show a
greater increase in creativity that students not
receiving counselling

4. Hypothesis(es) Meaning
A hypothesis is a possible answer to a research question. It is a
presumption or a hunch on the basis of which a study has to be
conducted.
This hypothesis is tested for possible rejection or approval. If the
hypothesis get accepted, it shows that your hunch was right, if it
get rejected it still does not mean that your research was not valid,
it means it is the opposite way you thought and perceived, whether
it is approved or not it gives you some conclusion and adds to the
available body of knowledge.
Hypothesis is an assumption made about population parameter.

5. Definition of Hypothesis
George A. Lund Burg “ a hypothesis is a tentative generalization
the validity of which remains to be tested……. In its most
elementary stage the hypothesis may be very bunch, guess,
imaginative data, which becomes the basis for action or
investigation”.
Goode and Hatt defined it as “ a proposition which can be put to test
to determined validity”.
Rummel “ a hypothesis is a statement capable of being tested and
there by verified or rejected”.
Grinnell – A hypothesis is written in such a way that it can be proven
or disproven by valid and reliable data, in order to obtain these
data that we perform our study

6. How Hypothesis Works
If you want to conduct a study on the effects of ‘Parental Depression on the
Academic Performance of Children’, you may like to conduct it without
any hypothesis but then you will have many dimensions to think upon and
will be more likely get distracted.
If you formulate a hypothesis that ‘Parental depression results in depression
in children too and this depression leads to low grades’ your research
will get a direction and you will not think about the broader effects of
depression, everything is well defined as on the grades of children, now you
have to test the impact of parental depression on the children’s
depression and as well as on the grades of children.
You may not need to test impacts on the extracurricular activities, class
conduct and other such things

7. Importance of Research
Hypothesis
 Clarity – to the way in which research should carry
 Focus – Only on what is relevant – always on the track
 Direction – for objectives, methodology, research design
and mode of analysis
 Objectivity and validity increases – since you focus on
the track
 Add to the body of the Knowledge – by finding
Research gap

8. Characteristics of Good Research
Hypotheses
 Relevant – to your study – limit irrelevant things
 Conceptual Clarity - It should consist of clearly defined and understandable concepts
 Specificity - A hypothesis should be specific and explain the expected relation b/w
variables and the conditions under which these relations will hold.
 Testable and verifiable - for possible approval/rejection – Statistically
 Availability of techniques - research must make sure that methods are available for
testing his proposed hypothesis.
 Consistency - Hypothesis should be logically consistent.
 Objectivity - Scientific hypothesis should be free from value judgment.
 Simplicity - Simplicity demands insight.

9. Types of Hypothesis
1) Simple Hypothesis – Is that one in which there exists
relationship between two variables IV and DV.
Example: a) Smoking leads to cancer
b) The higher ratio of Unemployment leads to crimes
2) Complex Hypothesis – In this type DV and IV are more than
two.
Example: a) Smoking & other drugs leads to Cancer, tension, chest
infection etc.
b) The higher ratio of Unemployment, Poverty and Illiteracy leads to
Crimes like Dacoit, Robbery, Rape, Prostitution and Killing etc.
3) Empirical/Working Hypothesis – is that one which is applied
to a field. During the formulation it is an assumption only but

10. Types of Hypothesis (2)
4) Null Hypothesis – Null means ‘Zero’ When a hypothesis is
stated negatively, it is called Null Hypothesis. The object of
this hypothesis is to avoid the personal bias of the
investigator, in the matter of collection of data. A null
hypothesis is used to collect additional support for the
known hypothesis. . It is denoted by Hₒ
5) Alternative Hypothesis – Firstly many hypothesis are
selected then among them select one which is more
workable and most efficient. That hypothesis is introduced
latter on due to changes in the old formulated hypothesis.
It is denoted by H₁

11. Types of Hypothesis (3)
6) Logical Hypothesis – It is that type in which hypothesis is
verified logically.
J. S. Mill has given four Cannons of these hypothesis –
Agreement, Disagreement, Difference and Residue
7) Statistical Hypothesis – A hypothesis which can be verified
statistically.
The statement would be logical or illogical but if statistic verifies
it, it will be statistical hypothesis.

12. Reference
 Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology:
Methods and Techniques. New Age
International.