The formulation of the hypothesis is one of the steps of the scientific method, in which the researcher generates a hypothesis that will later be confirmed or rejected.
The term hypothesis is of Greek origin, it comes from"hypothesis"which means supposition, which in turn derives from hypo: low, and from thesis: conclusion.
According to its etymology, the hypothesis is an apparent concept that is based on certain circumstances that support it. It is that tentative explanation that helps a researcher or scientist find a truth.
A hypothesis allows you to establish relationships between variables and thereby explain why something happens. They are fundamental to an investigation, since from them can arise new theories, always based on a theoretical framework suitable. Hypotheses indicate that one has to start from the existing to arrive at something new.
The use of the term hypothesis within the scientific research process dates back to the nineteenth century when the pioneering ideas of the historian William Whewell and the influence of renowned thinkers such as Hegel, Comte, and Engels provided the frame of reference called the scientific method.
However, it is possible that from the work of the French physician Claude Bernard, three stages of experimental research are distinguished: observation, hypothesis and verification.
For Bernard, orderly thought is necessary in scientific work, as well as to create experimental strategies, all this determined by a method.
Thus, any researcher is forced to raise one or several hypotheses, which once contrasted will allow to conceive a scientific knowledge.
What is the hypothesis formulation of the scientific method?
Any researcher goes through at least two basic stages.
The first, when he makes an attentive observation that allows him to see the reality and the totality of concrete facts that surround the phenomena to study.
The second, when based on the observed, formulates a hypothesis, which subject to the timely verification provides the data or sufficient information to approve or reject it (Limón, 2007).
Both stages are important, but the formulation and subsequent testing of hypotheses, are the maximum point in the generation of scientific knowledge.
In formulating a hypothesis, the researcher does not have the complete certainty of being able to verify it, therefore, it undergoes a process of rectification in order to be perfected in the face of scientific method . A hypothesis must be tested to see if it is true.
At the conclusion of a study the hypotheses will have been concluded, rejected, approved, or replaced by new hypotheses.
The hypothesis is of great importance for the scientific method because it helps to propose possible solutions for a given problem.
How do you make a hypothesis?
To make a hypothesis it is important that it be specific, so that the signals to be used to measure the studied variables are determined.
Therefore, the hypothesis should contribute to the explanation of the facts studied from the relationships between variables (Huertas, 2002).
Variables
They can be defined as everything that manages to assume different values, from the quantitative or qualitative point of view or everything that is going to be measured, to examine and to study in an investigation. Therefore, they are susceptible to measurement.
They are changing characteristics and, precisely, that variability is what the researcher measures or analyzes.
At the time of writing a hypothesis should be taken into account affirmative, unambiguous and should include the elements of the problem investigated with its variables and approaches.
To state scientific hypotheses, basic rules must be followed, they must give the essence of what one wants to define, be affirmative and use a clear language (APA, 2017).
Although many think otherwise, the biggest mistake in hypothesizing is to think that this is the first step of the investigation, because for no reason is it.
Steps to formulate a hypothesis
1 - Group information
2 - Compare the information gathered
3 - Provide probable explanations
4 - Choose the most feasible and
5 - Formulate one or more hypotheses.
After doing all these steps, comes experimentation, in which the validity hypothesis is confirmed.
If the hypothesis is proved, then what is hypothesized is true. In case it is not confirmed, the hypothesis will be false.
In this case, another hypothesis must be formulated with the actual data that have been obtained (Science, 2017).
Examples of hypotheses
- Soccer players who train on a regular basis using time, score more goals than those who lack 15% days to practice.
-First parents who have studied higher education, are in 70% of the more relaxed cases in childbirth.
A useful hypothesis should allow predictions by reasoning, including deductive reasoning. It could predict the outcome of an experiment in a laboratory or the observation of a phenomenon in nature. The prediction can also be statistical and deal only with probabilities.
Types of hypotheses
There are many types of hypotheses, but we will rely on the following:
1 - Research hypothesis
They are those proposals on the possible relations between two or more variables. They are statements made by researchers when they speculate about the outcome of a research or experiment. Within these exist different classes:
- Descriptive Hypotheses are used in descriptive studies, indicate the existence of some event, are taken the variables of a given context where they can be observed.
- Correlational hypotheses: suppose the evaluation between variables and if any of them undergo any changes, will affect the others. They reach the predictive and explanatory level, since knowing what two concepts or variables are related in a certain way, provides explanatory information. The order in which we place the variables is not important.
- Hypothesis of differences between groups: seek to determine the differences between groups, do not necessarily establish why these differences occur.
- Hypotheses that establish relationships of causality: they affirm that there are relations between two or more variables, how these relationships occur and also propose a sense of understanding of them. All these establish relationships of cause and effect (Wigodski, 2010) 1.
2 - Null hypotheses
They are the opposite or the reverse of the research hypotheses, they also compose proposals about the relationship between variables.
They serve only to refute or deny what a research hypothesis states.
3 - Alternative hypotheses
They are alternatives before the hypotheses of investigation and null. They offer different explanations than the ones they provide.
They can only be formulated when there are indeed additional possibilities to the research hypotheses and none.
4 - Statistical hypotheses
They are the transformation of the research hypotheses, null and void in statistical terms.
They can be formulated only when the study data to be collected and analyzed to test the hypotheses are quantitative.
References
- APA, N. (2017). APA rules . Retrieved from"How to write a hypothesis: Characteristics and types: rulesapa.net
- Huertas, D. P. (May 27, 2002). Faculty of Social Sciences . Obtained from Hypothesis Formulation: facso.uchile.cl
- The science . (2017). Obtained from The scientific method: its stages: chemicaweb.net
- Limón, R. R. (2007). Eumed . From Hypothesis Development: eumed.net
- Wigodski, J. (July 13, 2010). Investigation methodology . Obtained from Hypothesis Formulation: metodologiaeninvestigacion.blogspot.com.co.