Hypotheses

• What is a null hypothesis?

  Predicts no difference will be found between the two conditions
• What is an experimental/alternative hypothesis?

  Predict there will be a significant difference between the two conditions
• What direction is a one tailed hypotheses

  Directional
• What direction is a two tailed hypotheses

  Non directional
• What is one-tailed (directional) hypothesis

  these state the specific direction the researcher expects the results to move in, e.g. higher, lower, more, less.

  In a correlation study, the predicted direction of the correlation can be either positive or negative.
• What is a two-tailed (non directional) hypothesis?

  these state that a difference will be found between the conditions of the independent variable but does not state the direction of a difference or relationship
• All research has an alternative hypothesis (either a one-tailed or two-tailed) and a corresponding null hypothesis.

  Once the research is conducted and results are found, psychologists must accept one hypothesis and reject the other. 
• What is a significant result?

  A significant result is one where there is a low probability that chance factors were responsible for any observed difference, correlation, or association in the variables tested.
• what do you do when the test is significant?

  reject our null hypothesis and accept our alternative hypothesis.
• What do you do when the test isn’t significant?

  accept our null hypothesis and reject our alternative hypothesis. A null hypothesis is a statement of no effect.