6 Steps to Formulate a STRONG Hypothesis | Scribbr 🎓

Summary

In this informative video, Jessica from Scribbr explores the concept of a hypothesis, using the proverb "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" as a case study. She outlines six essential steps to formulate a strong hypothesis, starting with asking a focused research question and conducting preliminary research. Jessica emphasizes refining the hypothesis to make it specific and testable, and provides examples of phrasing it in various formats. Additionally, she discusses the importance of a null hypothesis in statistical testing. The video is a valuable resource for anyone looking to strengthen their research skills.

Takeaways

• 🍏 A hypothesis is a tentative statement predicting what you expect to find in your research.
• 🔍 The first step in formulating a hypothesis is to ask a focused, specific, and researchable question.
• 📚 Conduct preliminary research to gather existing knowledge and theories related to your question.
• ✍️ Write your initial answer to the research question in a clear and concise hypothesis statement.
• 🔄 Ensure your hypothesis is specific and testable, including relevant variables and the target group.
• 📏 Phrase your hypothesis in three ways: If-Then, correlation, and group comparison.
• ❓ The If-Then form highlights the independent and dependent variables of the hypothesis.
• 🔗 A correlation statement describes the expected relationship between variables.
• 👥 The group comparison method contrasts two groups regarding the variable being studied.
• 🚫 Formulate a null hypothesis, which assumes no effect between the variables being studied.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the proverb 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'?

The proverb suggests that eating an apple daily may contribute to better health and fewer visits to the doctor.

What is a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is a tentative statement predicting what you expect to find in your research, based on existing knowledge.

What is the first step in formulating a hypothesis?

The first step is to ask a focused, specific, and researchable question.

Can you provide an example of a research question related to the transcript?

An example question is: 'What are the health benefits of eating an apple a day?'

What should be done in the second step of hypothesis formulation?

You should conduct preliminary research to understand what is already known about the topic, including relevant theories and studies.

How should you phrase your hypothesis after conducting research?

Your hypothesis should be written clearly and concisely, such as 'Daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor's visits.'

What is the importance of refining your hypothesis?

Refining your hypothesis ensures it is specific, testable, and includes relevant variables and predicted outcomes.

What is an example of an independent variable in the hypothesis?

In the context of the example given, the independent variable is daily apple consumption.

How can you phrase a hypothesis in terms of correlation?

You can phrase it as: 'Daily apple consumption in over-60s will result in a decreased frequency of doctor's visits.'

What is the null hypothesis?

The null hypothesis assumes that there is no effect between the variables, such as 'Daily apple consumption in over-60s will have no effect on the frequency of doctor's visits.'