a prediction of what you would expect to happen in an experiment/study
Variable
anything that can change in an experiment
Independent variable
a variable that is manipulated by the researcher to investigate whether it consequently bring changes in another variable
Dependent variable
a variable which is measured and predicted to be dependent on the IV
Operationalising
the process of making the IV and DV specific and measurable
To operationalise the IV you must state the two conditions which it is in e.g. hot and cold
To operationalise the DV you must state how it is being measured e.g. degrees celsius
2 types of hypotheses:
experimental
null
Experimental hypothesis
This predicts a statistically significant effect of an IV on a DV or a significant relationship between variables
Null hypothesis
this predicts that a statistically significant effect or relationship will not be found
2 types of experimental hypotheses:
non-directional
directional
Non-directional hypothesis
states that there is a difference between conditions but the difference is not specified
Directional hypothesis
states the difference that is expected between the two conditions
If a researcher has no access to previous research that might indicate what direction the result will go in, then they will most likely predict a non-directional hypothesis
Psychologists can only write a directional hypothesis if there is previous research on their investigation
