Aims and types of hypotheses Flashcards
Starting aims, the difference between aims and hypotheses
Aim
A general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate; the purpose of the study
Based on theories
Hypotheses
A clear, precise, testable statement that states the relationship between variables to be investigated: a prediction
Directional Hypothesis
‘One-tailed’
When a researcher has a good idea of what is going to happen in a study they will predict a specific outcome and state the direction of the difference or relationship
- Typically when previous research has been carried out
- ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘higher’, ‘lower’, ‘faster’, ‘slower’
Non-directional Hypothesis
When a researcher is less sure what is going to happen in a study they will not state the direction and predict a more general outcome.
They will state that there will be a difference between conditions or groups of people but the nature of the difference is not specified
Null Hypothesis
When a researcher is confident that there will be no relationship between the variables that are being investigated