Aim and Hypotheses

• Aim - A general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate, the purpose of the study (1)
• Hypothesis - This is a specific, testable statement in which the researcher predicts what will happen between the variables (1)
• Directional (one tailed) hypothesis - Researcher predicts the direction they think the results will go in, so what the difference they expect to find between the two conditions
• Directional hypothesis - THERE WILL BE a significantly higher/lower, faster/slower, better/worse (operationalised DV) when participants (IV condition 1) compared to when participants (IV condition 2).
• Non-directional (two tailed) hypothesis - Researcher does not predict the difference that they think the results will go in, they just say that there will be a difference
• Non-directional hypothesis - THERE WILL BE a significant difference in (operationalised DV) when participants (IV condition 1) compared to when participants (IV condition 2).
• Null hypothesis - This states that the results gained were due to chance and not the IV that the researcher manipulated
• Directional hypotheses are suitable because all previous research has shown and stated the direction the results will follow
• Non-directional hypotheses are suitable because there is no previous research/inconsistent research to predict the direction of the results