Hypothesis

Hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it. Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous observations that cannot satisfactorily be explained with the available scientific theories.

Definition

In scientific reasoning, a hypothesis is an assumption made before any research has been completed for the sake of testing. A hypothesis is often examined by multiple scientists to ensure the integrity and verifiability of the experiment. This process can take years, and in the end, hypotheses often find themselves modified and even completely overturned.

Types of Hypothesis

There are two types of scientific hypothesis: the null hypothesis (H0) and the alternative hypothesis (H1 or Ha).

Null Hypothesis

The Null Hypothesis is a general statement that there is no relationship between two measured phenomena.

Alternative Hypothesis

The Alternative Hypothesis is the hypothesis that is contrary to the null hypothesis. It is usually taken to be that the observations are the result of a real effect (with some amount of chance variation superposed).

Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis Testing is a statistical method that is used in making statistical decisions using experimental data. Hypothesis Testing is basically an assumption that we make about the population parameter.

See Also

• Scientific Method
• Theory
• Research

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