A hypothesis is a statement that explains the predictions and reasoning behind your research—a kind of “educated guess” about how your scientific investigations will go. Writing a good hypothesis is an important part of the scientific method, but even simple ones can be hard to put into words.
Would you like to learn how to create a hypothesis for your academic paper? Below, we talk about the different types of hypotheses, what makes a good one, how to write your own, and give lots of examples.
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis, which is one of the key words for doing well in university, is an important part of the scientific process. It’s basically an educated guess—based on what you’ve seen—about what will happen in your experiment or research.
Here are some examples of hypotheses:
- Watering plants every day helps them grow faster.
- Adults can guess the temperature better than kids.
- Butterflies like white flowers more than orange ones.
If you’ve found that watering your plants every day makes them grow faster, your hypothesis could be “plants grow better with regular watering.” Then, you can do experiments to test your hypothesis; for example, you could compare two plants, water one regularly and not the other, and see what happens.
Hypotheses always involve variables, which are the things being tested. Variables can include objects, events, concepts, and anything else that can be seen.
Variables are divided into two types: independent and dependent. Independent variables are the ones you can change during the experiment, while dependent variables are the ones you can only observe. In the example above, the independent variable is how often we water the plants, while the dependent variable is how well they grow.
Hypotheses help guide the direction and organization of your research, making them an important part of writing a research paper. It’s important to say whether your hypothesis was proven true or false in the introduction and/or abstract of your paper.
7 Examples Of Hypotheses
Depending on the nature of your research and what you hope to find out, your hypothesis will fit into one of the seven main categories. Remember that these categories can overlap, so the same hypothesis might fit into more than one type.
- Simple hypothesis
A simple hypothesis suggests a connection between just two things: one thing causing a change in another.
Examples:
- Staying up late makes you feel tired the next day.
- Turning off your phone makes it charge faster.
- Complex Hypothesis
A complex hypothesis suggests a connection between more than two things, like two things causing a change in another, or the other way around.
Examples:
- People who eat a lot of fatty foods and have a family history of health problems are more likely to get heart disease.
- Older people living in rural areas tend to be happier than younger people living there.
- Null hypothesis
The null hypothesis (H0) says there’s no connection between variables.
Examples:
- Plant growth is the same whether you use bottled water or tap water.
- Professional psychics don’t win the lottery more often than other people.
- Alternative Hypothesis
The alternative hypothesis, also known as H1 or HA, works alongside the null hypothesis. It suggests the opposite of the null hypothesis, meaning only one can be true.
Examples:
- Bottled water is better for plants than tap water.
- Professional psychics are more likely to win the lottery than others.
- Logical Hypothesis
A logical hypothesis suggests a connection between variables without providing real evidence. Instead, these claims are based on reasoning or deduction but don’t include any actual data.
Examples:
- An alien raised on Venus might struggle to breathe in Earth’s atmosphere.
- Dinosaurs with sharp, pointed teeth were probably meat-eaters.
- Empirical Hypothesis
An empirical hypothesis, also known as a “working hypothesis,” is one that is currently being tested. Unlike logical hypotheses, empirical hypotheses are based on tangible data.
Examples:
- Even if the wait staff’s base pay is increased, customers will likely keep tipping.
- Washing your hands regularly can help reduce the risk of getting sick.
- Statistical Hypothesis
A statistical hypothesis means testing a small group of people from a larger group and then using the results to make guesses about the whole group. Instead of testing everyone, you test a few and make guesses about the rest based on what you find.
Examples:
- In people, there are slightly more boys born than girls.
- Around 2% of people in the world have naturally red hair.
What Makes A Good Hypothesis?
- Cause and effect:
Hypotheses should describe a cause-and-effect relationship where one thing causes another to happen (or not happen, in the case of a null hypothesis). This is usually said as an if-then statement: if one thing happens, another thing will happen.
- Testable prediction:
Most hypotheses are meant to be tested (except for logical hypotheses). Before settling on a hypothesis, make sure you can do experiments to test it. Choose a hypothesis that involves something you can control and test.
- Independent and dependent variables:
Explain the things you’re studying in your hypothesis to help your readers understand the big picture. You don’t have to say which things are independent and which are dependent, but you should say what all the things are.
- Candid language:
Keep your hypothesis simple and easy to understand to avoid confusion. Your hypothesis is important because it helps hold your whole paper together, so it shouldn’t be confusing. If you’re not sure how to say your hypothesis, try explaining it to a friend to see if they get it.
- Adherence to ethics:
It’s important to test not just what you can, but what you should. To keep things ethical (and believable), avoid ideas that require experiments that could cause problems or that people might not want to do.
How To Write A Hypothesis In 6 Steps
Ask a Question
Asking questions can spark curiosity and lead to important discoveries. Start by questioning the world around you. Why do things happen the way they do? What influences the things you observe? Choose a topic that interests you, so you’re naturally curious about it.
Gather Preliminary Information
Begin by gathering background information on your topic. The amount of research needed varies depending on the task. It could involve reading multiple books or simply doing a quick web search for answers. At this stage, you don’t need to prove or disprove your idea; just gather the information you need.
Define Your Variables
Once you have a hypothesis, identify which variables are independent and which are dependent. Keep in mind that independent variables are factors you can control completely, so consider the limitations of your experiment before forming your hypothesis.
Phrase it As an If-Then Statement
When stating your hypothesis, use an if-then statement. For example, “If I water a plant every day, it will grow better.” This approach may be challenging when dealing with multiple variables, but it’s a reliable way to show cause and effect.
Collect Data To Support Your Hypothesis
A hypothesis is just the beginning. The conclusion is the most crucial part of any scientific investigation. Once you have your hypothesis and variables, you can begin your experiments. Ideally, you’ll gather data that supports your hypothesis, but don’t worry if your research disproves it—this is all part of the scientific process.
Write Confidently
Finally, document your findings in a research paper for others to read. This requires writing skills that are different from those needed for experimentation.
Final Thoughts
The hypothesis is an important part of any scientific investigation. It predicts what researchers expect to find in a study or experiment. Even if the hypothesis isn’t proven right, the research is still valuable. It helps us understand how different parts of nature work together and leads to new ideas for future study.
Frequently Asked Questions About Writing Hypotheses
- What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis states your predictions for what your investigation will find out. It’s an initial answer to your research question that hasn’t been tested yet. In some research projects, you might need to create multiple hypotheses to cover different aspects of your study topic.
A hypothesis is more than just a guess; it should be based on established theories and knowledge. It also needs to be testable, meaning it can be supported or disproved through scientific research methods like experiments, observations, and statistical analysis.
- What are null and alternative hypotheses?
In statistical hypothesis testing, we use the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis predicts that there is no effect or relationship between variables, while the alternative hypothesis predicts that there is an effect or relationship based on what we’re studying.
- What is hypothesis testing?
Hypothesis testing is a formal method that uses statistics to explore our beliefs about the world. Scientists use it to check specific predictions, known as hypotheses, by figuring out the chance that a pattern or relationship between variables happened randomly.
