All Papers/Social Work Research (2022-23)/Q7
Q7
10 Marks

Part B (Q7): Explain the attributes and types of Hypothesis.

Expert Answer

A Hypothesis is a tentative, testable statement or prediction about the relationship between two or more variables. It acts as an educated guess derived from existing theory or observation that guides empirical investigation.

Attributes of a Good Hypothesis

  1. Testability: The most crucial attribute. A hypothesis must be capable of being proven false using empirical data. "Ghosts cause bad luck" is not testable; "People living in high-crime areas experience higher anxiety" is.
  2. Clarity and Precision: The concepts used must be clearly defined and unambiguous.
  3. Specificity: It should state the expected relationship between specific variables (e.g., "An increase in X leads to a decrease in Y"), rather than making a vague, generalized claim.
  4. Theoretical Foundation: A good hypothesis is logically derived from existing social theories or prior research findings, not just a random guess.

Types of Hypothesis

  1. Descriptive Hypothesis: Describes the existence, size, form, or distribution of a variable.
    • Example: "The rate of domestic violence in City A is higher than the national average."
  2. Relational Hypothesis: Describes a relationship between two variables, but does not necessarily imply cause and effect.
    • Example: "There is a positive relationship between poverty and school dropout rates."
  3. Causal Hypothesis: Goes a step further to state that one variable causes a change in another.
    • Example: "Implementing a free midday meal program will cause an increase in student attendance."
  4. Null Hypothesis ($H_0$): A statistical hypothesis that states there is no relationship, no difference, or no effect between the variables being studied. Researchers usually set this up specifically to reject it.
    • Example: "There is no difference in the reading scores of children who attended the after-school program and those who did not."
  5. Alternative Hypothesis ($H_1$): The opposite of the null hypothesis. It is the statement the researcher actually hopes to prove true.
    • Example: "Children who attended the after-school program will have higher reading scores than those who did not."