This document defines and explains key concepts related to research hypotheses. It begins by defining a hypothesis as a testable statement that attempts to explain facts or phenomena. The document then outlines characteristics, functions, types (including scientific, working, null, and alternative hypotheses), parameters for a good hypothesis, and how hypotheses compare to laws and theories. It concludes by emphasizing that hypotheses are derived from theories and express conjectured relationships between variables in testable statements.

1. PRESENTED BY,
Bibin s babu
S2 MBA

3. INTRODUCTION
Research hypotheses are the
specific testable predictions made about the
independent and dependent variables in the
study. Hypotheses are couched in terms of the
particular independent and dependent
variables that are going to be used in the
study.

4. MEANING
A hypothesis is an educated
guess or proposition that attempts to explain
a set of facts or natural phenomenon. It is
used mostly in the field of science, where
the scientific method is used to test it.
It can be defined as a
tentative, yet testable statement, which
provides what you want to find in your
empirical data.

5. CHARACTERISTICS
Simple, specific, and contextually clear
Capable of verification
Related to the existing body of knowledge
Operationalisable

6. FUNCTIONS
The important functions of hypotheses
are as follows:
• Bringing clarity to the research problem
• provides a study with focus
• signifies what specific aspects of a research
problem is to investigate

7. Functions…..
what data to be collected and what not to be
collected
enhancement of objectivity of the study
formulate the theory
enable to conclude with what is true or what
is false

8. BASICS OF HYPOTHESES
The two basic types of hypotheses are
scientific and working.
A scientific hypothesis is based on experiments
and observations from the past that cannot
be explained with current theories.
A working hypothesis is one that is widely
accepted and becomes the basis of further
experimentation.

9. TESTING V/S TESTED HYPOTHESES
A hypothesis can be testing a
concept or it can be developed as a result of
study:
A testing hypothesis is one that can be
tested, meaning you can measure both what
is being done (variables) and the outcome.
A tested hypothesis is tested with
research, such as in a research study in social
science.

10. GOAL OF HYPOTHESES
Regardless of the type of
hypothesis, the goal of a hypothesis is to help
explain the focus and direction of the
experiment or research. As such, a hypothesis
will:
State the purpose of the research
Identify what variables are used

11. PARAMETERS OF A GOOD HYPOTHESES
In order to be a good hypothesis that
can be tested or studied, a hypothesis:
 Needs to be logical
 Must use precise language
 Should be testable with research or
experimentation
 A hypothesis is usually written in a form where it
proposes that if something is done, then something
else will occur.

12. TYPOLOGIES
Working hypothesis
Null hypothesis
Alternate hypothesis

13. Working hypothesis
The working or trail hypothesis is
provisionally adopted to explain the relationship
between some observed facts for guiding a
researcher in the investigation of a problem.
A Statement constitutes a trail or working
hypothesis (which) is to be tested and
conformed, modifies or even abandoned as the
investigation proceeds.

14. Null hypothesis
A null hypothesis is formulated against the
working hypothesis; opposes the statement of
the working hypothesis
....it is contrary to the positive statement
made in the working hypothesis; formulated
to disprove the contrary of a working
hypothesis
When a researcher rejects a null
hypothesis, he/she actually proves a working

15. In statistics, to mean a null hypothesis
usually Ho is used. For example,
 Ho Q = O
 where Q is the property of the
population under investigation
 O is hypothetical

16. Alternate hypothesis
An alternate hypothesis is formulated when a
researcher totally rejects null hypothesis
He/she develops such a hypothesis with
adequate reasons
The notion used to mean alternate hypothesis
is H1 Q>O
 i.e., Q is greater than O

17. EXAMPLES
Working hypothesis: Population
influences the number of bank branches in a town
 Null hypothesis (Ho): Population do not
have any influence on the number of bank
branches in a town.
Alternate hypothesis (H1): Population has
significant effect on the number of bank branches
in a town. A researcher formulates this hypothesis
only after rejecting the null hypothesis.

18. COMPARING HYPOTHESIS, LAW AND
THEORY
There are three types of scientific
statements:
Hypothesis
Law
Theory
A hypothesis will give a plausible explanation
that will be tested. It can also explain future
phenomenon that will need to be tested.

19. Once a hypothesis has been widely
accepted, it is called a law. This means that it
is assumed to be true and will predict the
outcome of certain conditions or experiments
A scientific theory is broader in scope and
explains more events that a law. After
hypotheses and laws have been tested many
times, with accurate results, they become
theories.

20. CONCLUSION
Usually the literature review
has given background material that justifies
the particular hypotheses that are to be
tested. Hypotheses are derived from the
theory on which your conceptual model is
based and are often relational in nature.
Hypotheses are conjectured relationships
between two or more variables expressed in
the form of testable statements.