Lecture 12

Question 1

What is a descriptive research question?

Answer 1

very specific question being asked

Question 2

What is a casual research question?

Answer 2

more general question being asked

Question 3

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 3

proposed explanation of a pattern or phenomenon that may or may not be true
test the hypothesis using specific observations or experiments, to provide evidence for or against it

Question 4

Can there be more than one hypothesis under test?

Answer 4

yes

Question 5

What makes a good hypothesis?

Answer 5

• verifiable, testable statement, very clear/specific
• postulates connections between cause and effect of observed outcome

Question 6

Can a study ever prove a hypothesis?

Answer 6

no, alternative explanations can never truly be ruled out, hypotheses can only be rejected, falsified or deemed to remain valid

Question 7

What is a working hypothesis vs a null hypothesis?

Answer 7

Hypothesis H1 (working/alternative hypothesis)
- associated with the research question, predicts that there is a difference between the samples
Hypothesis H0 (null hypothesis)
- predicts there is no significant difference between the sample, H0 is not explicitly stated

Question 8

What is a predication?

Answer 8

outcome you observe if your hypothesis is correct
- determine which behaviours/physiological measurements are collected

Question 9

What does a hypothesis lead to?

Answer 9

predictions

Question 10

What did tinbergen notice about eggs?

Answer 10

inside of the egg was not camoflaged
his hypothesis was “remove eggshells from their nests to reduce predation risk”
if this idea was correct the prediction would be: if black-headed gulls remove eggshells promptly after hatching, then fewer predators will be attracted to the nest area, increasing survival rate of chicks