Hypothesis testing

When interpreting research findings, researchers need to assess whether these findings may
have occurred by chance. Hypothesis testing is a systematic procedure for deciding whether
the results of a research study support a particular theory which applies to a population.
Hypothesis testing uses sample data to evaluate a hypothesis about a population. A
hypothesis test assesses how unusual the result is, whether it is reasonable chance variation or
whether the result is too extreme to be considered chance variation.

Null and research hypotheses

To carry out statistical hypothesis testing, research and null hypothesis are employed:

 Research hypothesis: this is the hypothesis that you propose, also known as the alternative
hypothesis HA. For example:

HA: There is a relationship between intelligence and academic results.

HA: First year university students obtain higher grades after an intensive Statistics course.
HA; Males and females differ in their levels of stress.

 The null hypothesis (Ho) is the opposite of the research hypothesis and expresses that there is
no relationship between variables, or no differences between groups; for example:

Ho: There is no relationship between intelligence and academic results.

Ho: First year university students do not obtain higher grades after an intensive Statistics
course.
Ho: Males and females will not differ in their levels of stress.

The purpose of hypothesis testing is to test whether the null hypothesis (there is no
difference, no effect) can be rejected or approved. If the null hypothesis is rejected, then the
research hypothesis can be accepted. If the null hypothesis is accepted, then the research
hypothesis is rejected.
In hypothesis testing, a value is set to assess whether the null hypothesis is accepted or
rejected and whether the result is statistically significant:

o A critical value is the score the sample would need to decide against the null hypothesis.
o A probability value is used to assess the significance of the statistical test. If the null
hypothesis is rejected, then the alternative to the null hypothesis is accepted.

The hypothesis testing process

The hypothesis testing process can be divided into five steps:
 1. Restate the research question as research hypothesis and a null hypothesis about the
populations.
2. Determine the characteristics of the comparison distribution.
3. Determine the cut off sample score on the comparison distribution at which the null
hypothesis should be rejected.
4. Determine your sample’s score on the comparison distribution.
5. Decide whether to reject the null hypothesis.

What is a Hypothesis?

The first step in your scientific endeavor, a hypothesis, is a strong, concise statement that forms the
basis of your research. It is not the same as a thesis statement, which is a brief summary of your
research paper.
Different Types of Hypotheses‌
Types of hypotheses

Some would stand by the notion that there are only two types of hypotheses: a Null
hypothesis and an Alternative hypothesis. While that may have some truth to it, it would be
better to fully distinguish the most common forms as these terms come up so often, which
might leave you out of context.

Apart from Null and Alternative, there are Complex, Simple, Directional, Non-Directional,
Statistical, and Associative and casual hypotheses. They don't necessarily have to be
exclusive, as one hypothesis can tick many boxes, but knowing the distinctions between them
will make it easier for you to construct your own.

1. Null hypothesis

A null hypothesis proposes no relationship between two variables. Denoted by H0, it is a

negative statement like “Attending physiotherapy sessions does not affect athletes' on-field
performance.” Here, the author claims physiotherapy sessions have no effect on on-field
performances. Even if there is, it's only a coincidence.

2. Alternative hypothesis

Considered to be the opposite of a null hypothesis, an alternative hypothesis is donated as H1

or Ha. It explicitly states that the dependent variable affects the independent variable. A good
alternative hypothesis example is “Attending physiotherapy sessions improves athletes' on-
field performance.” or “Water evaporates at 100°C.”

The alternative hypothesis further branches into directional and non-directional.

 Directional hypothesis: A hypothesis that states the result would be either positive or
negative is called directional hypothesis. It accompanies H1 with either the ‘<' or ‘>' sign.
 Non-directional hypothesis: A non-directional hypothesis only claims an effect on the
dependent variable. It does not clarify whether the result would be positive or negative. The
sign for a non-directional hypothesis is ‘≠.'

3. Simple hypothesis

A simple hypothesis is a statement made to reflect the relation between exactly two variables.
One independent and one dependent. Consider the example, “Smoking is a prominent cause
of lung cancer." The dependent variable, lung cancer, is dependent on the independent
variable, smoking.

4. Complex hypothesis

In contrast to a simple hypothesis, a complex hypothesis implies the relationship between

multiple independent and dependent variables. For instance, “Individuals who eat more fruits
tend to have higher immunity, lesser cholesterol, and high metabolism.” The independent
variable is eating more fruits, while the dependent variables are higher immunity, lesser
cholesterol, and high metabolism.
5. Associative and casual hypothesis

Associative and casual hypotheses don't exhibit how many variables there will be. They
define the relationship between the variables. In an associative hypothesis, changing any one
variable, dependent or independent, affects others. In a casual hypothesis, the independent
variable directly affects the dependent.

6. Empirical hypothesis

Also referred to as the working hypothesis, an empirical hypothesis claims a theory's

validation via experiments and observation. This way, the statement appears justifiable and
different from a wild guess.

Say, the hypothesis is “Women who take iron tablets face a lesser risk of anemia than those
who take vitamin B12.” This is an example of an empirical hypothesis where the researcher
the statement after assessing a group of women who take iron tablets and charting the
findings.

7. Statistical hypothesis

The point of a statistical hypothesis is to test an already existing hypothesis by studying a

population sample. Hypothesis like “44% of the Indian population belong in the age group of
22-27.” leverage evidence to prove or disprove a particular statement.

Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis

Writing a hypothesis is essential as it can make or break your research for you. That includes
your chances of getting published in a journal. So when you're designing one, keep an eye out
for these pointers:

 A research hypothesis has to be simple yet clear to look justifiable enough.

 It has to be testable — your research would be rendered pointless if too far-fetched into reality
or limited by technology.
 It has to be precise about the results —what you are trying to do and achieve through it should
come out in your hypothesis.
 A research hypothesis should be self-explanatory, leaving no doubt in the reader's mind.
 If you are developing a relational hypothesis, you need to include the variables and establish
an appropriate relationship among them.
 A hypothesis must keep and reflect the scope for further investigations and experiments.

Separating a Hypothesis from a Prediction

Outside of academia, hypothesis and prediction are often used interchangeably. In research
writing, this is not only confusing but also incorrect. And although a hypothesis and
prediction are guesses at their core, there are many differences between them.

A hypothesis is an educated guess or even a testable prediction validated through research. It

aims to analyze the gathered evidence and facts to define a relationship between variables and
put forth a logical explanation behind the nature of events.
Predictions are assumptions or expected outcomes made without any backing evidence. They
are more fictionally inclined regardless of where they originate from.

For this reason, a hypothesis holds much more weight than a prediction. It sticks to the
scientific method rather than pure guesswork.
"Planets revolve around the Sun." is an example of a hypothesis as it is previous knowledge
and observed trends. Additionally, we can test it through the scientific method.

Whereas "COVID-19 will be eradicated by 2030." is a prediction. Even though it results from
past trends, we can't prove or disprove it. So, the only way this gets validated is to wait and
watch if COVID-19 cases end by 2030.

Finally, How to Write a Hypothesis

Quick tips on writing a hypothesis

1. Be clear about your research question

A hypothesis should instantly address the research question or the problem statement. To do
so, you need to ask a question. Understand the constraints of your undertaken research topic
and then formulate a simple and topic-centric problem. Only after that can you develop a
hypothesis and further test for evidence.

2. Carry out a recce

Once you have your research's foundation laid out, it would be best to conduct preliminary
research. Go through previous theories, academic papers, data, and experiments before you
start curating your research hypothesis. It will give you an idea of your hypothesis's viability
or originality.

Making use of references from relevant research papers helps draft a good research
hypothesis. SciSpace Discover offers a repository of over 270 million research papers to
browse through and gain a deeper understanding of related studies on a particular topic.
Additionally, you can use SciSpace Copilot, your AI research assistant, for reading any
lengthy research paper and getting a more summarized context of it. A hypothesis can be
formed after evaluating many such summarized research papers. Copilot also offers
explanations for theories and equations, explains paper in simplified version, allows you to
highlight any text in the paper or clip math equations and tables and provides a deeper, clear
understanding of what is being said. This can improve the hypothesis by helping you identify
potential research gaps.

3. Create a 3-dimensional hypothesis

Variables are an essential part of any reasonable hypothesis. So, identify your independent
and dependent variable(s) and form a correlation between them. The ideal way to do this is to
write the hypothetical assumption in the ‘if-then' form. If you use this form, make sure that
you state the predefined relationship between the variables.

In another way, you can choose to present your hypothesis as a comparison between two
variables. Here, you must specify the difference you expect to observe in the results.
4. Write the first draft

Now that everything is in place, it's time to write your hypothesis. For starters, create the first
draft. In this version, write what you expect to find from your research.

Clearly separate your independent and dependent variables and the link between them. Don't
fixate on syntax at this stage. The goal is to ensure your hypothesis addresses the issue.

5. Proof your hypothesis

After preparing the first draft of your hypothesis, you need to inspect it thoroughly. It should
tick all the boxes, like being concise, straightforward, relevant, and accurate. Your final
hypothesis has to be well-structured as well.

Research projects are an exciting and crucial part of being a scholar. And once you have your
research question, you need a great hypothesis to begin conducting research. Thus, knowing
how to write a hypothesis is very important.

Now that you have a firmer grasp on what a good hypothesis constitutes, the different kinds
there are, and what process to follow, you will find it much easier to write your hypothesis,
which ultimately helps your research.

Now it's easier than ever to streamline your research workflow with SciSpace Discover. Its
integrated, comprehensive end-to-end platform for research allows scholars to easily
discover, write and publish their research and fosters collaboration.

It includes everything you need, including a repository of over 270 million research papers
across disciplines, SEO-optimized summaries and public profiles to show your expertise and
experience.

If you found these tips on writing a research hypothesis useful, head over to our blog
on Statistical Hypothesis Testing to learn about the top researchers, papers, and institutions in
this domain.