Testable Hypothesis Explanation and Examples

Testable Hypothesis Explanation and Examples A testable hypothesis is a form of a hypothesis that can either be supported or else falsified from data or experience. It's the type of hypothesis you want to state in order to conceive and perform an experiment using the scientific method. In order to be considered testable, two criteria must be met: 1) A counter-example of the hypothesis must be possible. In other words, it must be falsifiable. 2) It must be possible to observe whether the hypothesis is true or false. In other words, you should be able to design an experiment to test the hypothesis. Additionally, you need to be able to reproduce the results. Examples of a testable hypothesis  Students who attend class have higher grades than students who skip class.  People exposed to high levels of ultraviolet light have a higher incidence of cancer than the norm.  If you put people in a dark room, then they will be unable to tell when an infrared light turns on. Examples of a hypothesis not written in a testable form  It doesn't matter whether or not you skip class.  Ultraviolet light could cause cancer.  I can't see infrared light Hypotheses in social science Within social science, a hypothesis can take two forms. It can predict that there is no relationship between two variables, in which case it is a null hypothesis. Or, it can predict the existence of a relationship between variables, which is known as an alternative hypothesis. In either case, the variable that is thought to either affect or not affect the outcome is known as the independent variable, and the variable that is thought to either be affected or not is the dependent variable. Researchers seek to determine whether their hypothesis, or hypotheses if they have more than one, will prove true. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they do not. Either way, the research is considered successful if one can conclude whether or not a hypothesis is true. Null Hypothesis A researcher has a null hypothesis when she or he believes, based on theory and existing scientific evidence, that there will not be a relationship between two variables. For example, when examining what factors influence a person's highest level of education within the U.S., a researcher might expect that place of birth, number of siblings, and religion would not have an impact on the level of education. This would mean the researcher has stated three null hypotheses. Alternative Hypothesis Taking the same example, a researcher might expect that the economic class and educational attainment of one's parents and the race of the person in question are likely to have an effect on one's educational attainment. Existing evidence and social theories that recognize the connections between wealth and cultural resources, and how race affects access to rights and resources in the U.S., would suggest that both economic class and educational attainment of the one's parents would have a positive effect on educational attainment. In this case, economic class and educational attainment of one's parents are independent variables, and one's educational attainment is the dependent variable—it is hypothesized to be dependent on the other two. Conversely, an informed researcher would expect that being a race other than white in the U.S. is likely to have a negative impact on a person's educational attainment. This would be characterized as a negative relationship, wherein being a person of color has a negative effect on one's educational attainment. In reality, this hypothesis proves true, with the exception of Asian Americans, who go to college at a higher rate than whites do. However, Blacks and Hispanics and Latinos are far less likely than whites and Asian Americans to go to college. Formulating a Hypothesis Formulating a hypothesis can take place at the very beginning of a research project, or after a bit of research has already been done. Sometimes a researcher knows right from the start which variables she is interested in studying, and she may already have a hunch about their relationships. Other times, a researcher may have an interest in a particular topic, trend, or phenomenon, but he may not know enough about it to identify variables or formulate a hypothesis. Whenever a hypothesis is formulated, the most important thing is to be precise about what one's variables are, what the nature of the relationship between them might be, and how one can go about conducting a study of them. How to propose a testable hypothesis a summary Therefore, now that you know what a testable hypothesis is, here are tips for proposing one.  Try to write the hypothesis as an if-then statement. If you take an action, then a certain outcome is expected.  Identify the independent and dependent variable in the hypothesis. The independent variable is what you are controlling or changing. You measure the effect this has on the dependent variable.  Write the hypothesis in such a way that you can prove or disprove it.  Make sure you are proposing a hypothesis you can test with reproducible results. It is a matter of gathering enough data to be able to reproduce results and draw a conclusion.