Geography (H), UG, 4th Semester
CC-10-TH: FIELD WORK AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Topic: Hypothesis
by- Kaberi Murmu
What is Hypothesis?
A set of assumption to be proved or disproved is called hypothesis.
For researcher hypothesis is a formal question that he intends to resolve.
Hypothesis is considered as an intelligent guess or prediction that gives directional
to the researcher to answer the research question.
Hypothesis or Hypotheses are defined as the predictive statement or explanation,
capable of being tested by scientific methods that show the relationship between
two or more independent to some dependent variables in a specified population.
A hypothesis is an assumption about relations between variables. It is a tentative
explanation of the research problem or a guess about the research outcome.
Webster (1968) has defined hypothesis as “a tentative assumption made in order
to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences.” ‘Test’ here means
“either to prove it wrong or to confirm it”.
Few Examples of Hypothesis
o Group study increases higher division achievement.
o Young girls (between 15-30 years) are more victims of crimes against
women than middle –aged women (between 30-40 years).
o Educated women have more adjustment problems after marriage than
illiterate women.
o Economic instability hampers development of an establishment.
o Job satisfaction decreases as working hours increases.
