Writing an Aim & Hypothesis for EXPERIMENTS:

Research aim: what you aim to find out. For example: A study investigating the effects of chewing gum on memory recall

Research question: pretty much the aim, but phrased as a question. For example: Does chewing gum effect memory recall

A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction of how one variable effects another

When writing a hypothesis for an experiment, always use the word EFFECT. For example: There will be a significant EFFECT on participants intelligence test scores in a hot room compared to a cold room

One tailed hypothesis:

This is a hypothesis that predicts a certain direction independent variable will affect the dependent variable.When writing a hypothesis, you must always operationalise it. This means you must state, the conditions of you IV, and you must also state the measure you used for your DV and how it was scored.

Operationalised ONE tailed hypothesis:

Eating chocolate will have a positive EFFECT on mood (measured on a scale of 1-10, 1 being very sad, and 10 being very happy, how do you feel?) when eating a bar of chocolate compared to not eating chocolate.

Two tailed hypothesis:

This is a hypothesis that predicts that effect will occur, it just doesn’t state the direction of that effect.

Operationalised TWO tailed hypothesis:

Eating chocolate will have an EFFECT on mood (measured on a scale of 1-10, 1 being very sad, and 10 being very happy, how do you feel?) when eating a bar of chocolate compared to not eating chocolate.

Null hypothesis:

This is a hypothesis that predicts NO EFFECT on the dependent variable. That any result found is due to error or chance.

Operationalised NULL hypothesis:

Eating chocolate will have no EFFECT on mood (measured on a scale of 1-10, 1 being very sad, and 10 being very happy, how do you feel?) when eating a bar of chocolate compared to not eating chocolate.

Writing an Aim & Hypothesis for CORRELATIONS: