Formulation of Hypothesis
The word hypothesis consists of two words –Hypo+Thesis. ‘Hypo’ means tentative or subject to the verification. ‘Thesis’ means statement about solution of the problem. Thus the literal meaning of the term hypothesis is a tentative statement about the solution of the problem. Hypothesis offers a solution of the problem that is to be verified empirically and based on some rationale.
Again, ’hypo’ means the composition of two or more variables which are to be verified and ‘thesis’ means position of these variables in the specific frame of reference.
Definitions of Hypothesis:
“Any supposition which we make in order to endeavor to deduce conclusions in accordance with facts which are known to be real under the idea that if the conclusions to which the hypothesis leads are known truths, the hypothesis itself either must be or at least likely to be true.”
J.S. Mill
“A hypothesis is a tentative generalization the validity of which remains to be tested. In its most elementary stage the hypothesis may be any hunch, guess, imaginative idea which becomes basis for further investigation.”
Lundberg
“It is a shrewd guess or inference that is formulated and provisionally adopted to explain observed facts or conditions and to guide in further investigation.”
John W. Best
“A hypothesis is a statement temporarily accepted as true in the light of what is, at the time, known about a phenomenon, and it is employed as a basis for action in the search for new, truth, when the hypothesis is fully established, it may take the form of facts, principles and theories.”
Barr and Scates
“Hypothesis is an assumption whose testability is to be tested on the basis of the compatibility of its implications with empirical evidence and previous knowledge.”
Gorge J. Mouly
Nature of Hypothesis:
- Conceptual: Some kind of conceptual elements in the framework are involved in a hypothesis.
- Verbal statement in a declarative form: It is a verbal expression of ideas and concepts. It is not merely mental idea but in the verbal form, the idea is ready enough for empirical verification.
- It represents the tentative relationship between two or more variables.
- Forward or future oriented: A hypothesis is future-oriented. It relates to the future verification not the past facts and information.
- Pivot of a scientific research: All research activities are designed for verification of hypothesis.
Functions of Hypothesis:
H.H. Mc Ashan has mentioned the following functions of hypothesis;
- It is a temporary solution of a problem concerning with some truth which enables an investigator to start his research works.
Importance of a Hypothesis:
- Investigator’s eyes: Carter V. Good thinks that by guiding the investigator in further investigation hypothesis serves as the investigator’s eyes in seeking answers to tentatively adopted generalization.
- Focuses research: Without hypothesis, a research is unfocussed research and remains like a random empirical wandering. Hypothesis serves as necessary link between theory and the investigation.
- Clear and specific goals: A well thought out set of hypothesis places clear and specific goals before the research worker and provides him with a basis for selecting sample and research procedure to meet these goals.
- Links together: According to Barr and Scates, “It serves the important function of linking together related facts and information and organizing them into wholes.”
- Prevents blind research: In the words of P.V. Young, ”The use of hypothesis prevents a blind search and indiscriminate gathering of masses of data which may later prove irrelevant to the problem under study."
- Guiding Light: ”A hypothesis serves as powerful beacon that lights the way for the research work.”
- It provides direction to research and prevent the review of irrelevant literature and the collection of useful or excess data.
- It sensitizes the investigator certain aspects of situation which are irrelevant from the standpoint of problem at hand.
- It enables the investigator to understand with greater clarity his problem and its ramification.
- It is an indispensible research instrument, for it builds a bridge between the problem and the location of empirical evidence that may solve the problem.
- It provides the investigator with the most efficient instrument for exploring and explaining the unknown facts.
- It provides a frame work for drawing conclusion.
- It stimulates the investigator for further research.
Forms of Hypothesis:
According to Bruce W. Tuckman following are the forms of hypothesis;
(i) Question form:
A hypothesis stated as a question represents the simplest level of empirical observation. It fails to fit most definitions of hypothesis. It frequently appears in the list. There are cases of simple investigation which can be adequately implemented by raising a question, rather than dichotomizing the hypothesis forms into acceptable / reject able categories.
(ii) Declarative Statement :
A hypothesis developed as a declarative statement provides an anticipated relationship or difference between variables. Such a hypothesis developer has examined existing evidence which led him to believe that a difference may be anticipated as additional evidence. It is merely a declaration of the independent variables effect on the criterion variable.
(iii) Directional Hypothesis :
A directional hypothesis connotes an expected direction in the relationship or difference between variables. This type of hypothesis developer appears more certain of anticipated evidence. If seeking a tenable hypothesis is the general interest of the researcher, this hypothesis is less safe than the others because it reveals two possible conditions. First that the problem of seeking relationship between variables is so obvious that additional evidence is scarcely needed. Secondly, researcher has examined the variables very thoroughly and the available evidence supports the statement of a particular anticipated outcome.
(iv) Non –Directional Hypothesis or Null Hypothesis:
This hypothesis is stated in the null form which is an assertion that no relationship or no difference exists between or among the variables. Null hypothesis is a statistical hypothesis testable within the framework of probability theory. It is a non-directional form of hypothesis.
There is a trend to employ or develop null hypothesis in research in most of the disciplines. A null hypothesis tentatively states that on the basis of evidence tested there is no difference. If the null hypothesis is rejected, there is a difference but we do not know the alternative or the differences. In this the researcher has not to anticipate or give the rational for the declaration or directional form. It does not make researcher biased or prejudiced. He may be objective about the expected outcomes of the research or findings.
Actually this is a statistical hypothesis which is self- explanatory. Null hypothesis means zero hypotheses. A researcher has not to do anything in developing it. While research hypothesis is second step in the process of reflective thinking.
A null hypothesis in an appropriate form is order to accommodate the object of inquiry for extracting this information. It does not necessarily reflect the expectations of the researcher so much as the utility of the null form as the best fitted to the logic of chance in statistical knowledge or science.
It is the no difference form, i.e. there is no difference or relationship between or among variables under certain conditions.
Statistical tests of significance are used to accept and reject the null hypothesis. If it is rejected, the general hypothesis is accepted.
Non-directional hypothesis is known as null hypothesis because it ‘nullifies’ the positive argument of the findings or non-directional statement of the generalization. It is also termed as statistical or zero hypothesis because it denies the existence of any systematic principles apart from the effect of chance. It assumes that none or zero difference exists between the two population means or the treatments.
Formulation of Testable Hypothesis:
A hypothesis is a tentative assumption drawn from knowledge and theory. It is used as a guide in the investigation of other facts and theory that are as yet unknown. Its formulation is one of the most difficult and most crucial step in the entire scientific process. A poorly chosen or poorly worded hypothesis can prevent the following:
- The obtaining of enough pertinent data,
- The drawing of conclusions and generalizations ,and
- The application of certain statistical measures in the analysis of the result.
Hypothesis is the central core of study that directs the selection of the data to be gathered, the experimental design, the statistical analysis and the conclusions drawn from the study.
A study may be devoted to the testing of one major hypothesis, a number of subsidiary hypothesis, or both major and subsidiary hypotheses. When several hypotheses are used, each should be stated separately in order to anticipate the type of analysis required and in order to definitely accept or reject each hypothesis on its own merit. Irrespective of number or type used each hypothesis should be testable and based upon a logical foundation.
Fundamental Basis of Hypothesis:
The researcher deals with reality on two levels;
1. The Operational Level:
On the operational level researcher must define events in observable terms in order to operate with the reality necessary to do researches.
2. The Conceptual Level:
On the conceptual level the researcher must define events in terms of underlying communality with other events. Defining at a conceptual level, the researcher can abstract from single specific to general instance and begin to understand how phenomena operate and variables interrelate. The formulation of a hypothesis very frequently requires going from an operational or concrete level to the conceptual or abstract level. This movement to the conceptual level enables the result to be generalized beyond the specific conditions of a particular study and thus to be of wider applicability.
Research requires the ability to move from the operational to the conceptual level and vice–versa. This ability is required not only in constructing experiments but in applying their findings as well. The process of making conceptual contrasts between operational programme is called conceptualization or dimensionalization.
Difficulties in the Formulation of Useful Hypothesis:
Moving from the operational to the conceptual level and vice –versa is a critical ingredient of the research to demonstration process. The following are the difficulties in the formulation of hypothesis:
- Absence of knowledge of a clear theoretical framework.
- Lack of ability to make use of the theoretical framework logically.
- Lack of acquaintance with available research technique resulting in failure to be able to phrase the hypothesis properly.
