Question

Identify from the list of characteristics given below these which are related to a good hypothesis in a research:

a) Simplicity of explanation

b) Plausibility of explanation

c) Highly difficult to verify the postulated relations

d) Not related to an existing theory

e) Relationship formulated among variables having conceptual clarity

Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

1. a, b and c only
2. b, c and d only
3. c, d and e only
4. a, b and e only

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : a, b and e only

Hypothesis meaning:

• A hypothesis is a specific statement of prediction.
• A research hypothesis is a specific, clear, and testable proposition or predictive statement about the possible outcome of a scientific research study based on a particular property of a population, such as presumed differences between groups on a particular variable or relationships between variables.
• A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a precise, testable statement of what the researcher(s) predict will be the outcome of the study.

Characteristics of a good hypothesis: The followings are the characteristics of a good hypothesis:

• The hypothesis should be clear and precise to consider it to be reliable.
• If the hypothesis is a relational hypothesis, then it should be stating the relationship between variables.
• The hypothesis must be specific and should have scope for conducting more tests.
• The way of explanation of the hypothesis must be very simple and it should also be understood that the simplicity of the hypothesis is not related to its significance.

Conclusion:

A research hypothesis is a hypothesis that is used to test the relationship between two variables. It becomes the start point of any investigation. It gives direction to the research and helps in verifying observation. A good hypothesis is one that is simple, reliable, establishes a relationship between two variables, and has scope for conducting more tests. Hence, option (4) is correct.