Hypotheses and Variables

Hypothesis

An educated guess or a presumption that is based on a scholar’s review of the research literature

• Must be clear and testable

• Directional hypothesis - specifies the direction of relationship between variables (positive vs. negative association, increase vs. decrease)

• Alternative hypothesis - proposed hypothesis

Null Hypothesis

A hypothesis that predicts no relationship

Null Hypothesis Significance Testing

Accept or reject hypothesis by evaluating the probability that no relationship exists, given the data (observations), we can say how confident we are that the relationship found is not by chance

• Assume theres is no relationship

Variable

The properties or characteristics of people or things that vary in quality or magnitude from person to person or object to object (different values)

Independent variable (x)

a variable whose changes in values result in changes in another (dependent) variable

Dependent variable (y)

a variable whose values change as a result of changes in another (independent) variable