working hypothesis synonym

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noun as in theory

Strongest matches

• explanation
• interpretation
• proposition
• supposition

Strong matches

• attribution
• demonstration
• presupposition
• speculation

Weak matches

• shot in the dark
• starting point
• tentative law

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Related words.

Words related to hypothesis are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word hypothesis . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in taking something for granted; something expected

• expectation
• postulation
• presumption
• sneaking suspicion
• theorization

noun as in putting regard in as true

• understanding

noun as in something regarded as true

• fundamental
• gospel truth

noun as in idea

• abstraction
• apprehension
• conceptualization
• consideration
• fool notion
• intellection

Viewing 5 / 29 related words

Example Sentences

Each one is a set of questions we’re fascinated by and hypotheses we’re testing.

Mousa’s research hinges on the “contact hypothesis,” the idea that positive interactions among rival group members can reduce prejudices.

Do more research on it, come up with a hypothesis as to why it underperforms, and try to improve it.

Now is the time to test your hypotheses to figure out what’s changing in your customers’ worlds, and address these topics directly.

Whether computing power alone is enough to fuel continued machine learning breakthroughs is a source of debate, but it seems clear we’ll be able to test the hypothesis.

Though researchers have struggled to understand exactly what contributes to this gender difference, Dr. Rohan has one hypothesis.

The leading hypothesis for the ultimate source of the Ebola virus, and where it retreats in between outbreaks, lies in bats.

In 1996, John Paul II called the Big Bang theory “more than a hypothesis.”

To be clear: There have been no double-blind or controlled studies that conclusively confirm this hair-loss hypothesis.

The bacteria-driven-ritual hypothesis ignores the huge diversity of reasons that could push someone to perform a religious ritual.

And remember it is by our hypothesis the best possible form and arrangement of that lesson.

Taken in connection with what we know of the nebulæ, the proof of Laplace's nebular hypothesis may fairly be regarded as complete.

What has become of the letter from M. de St. Mars, said to have been discovered some years ago, confirming this last hypothesis?

To admit that there had really been any communication between the dead man and the living one is also an hypothesis.

"I consider it highly probable," asserted Aunt Maria, forgetting her Scandinavian hypothesis.

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On this page you'll find 80 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to hypothesis, such as: assumption, axiom, conclusion, conjecture, explanation, and guess.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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1.1: The Working Hypothesis

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• Penn State's Department of Statistics
• The Pennsylvania State University

Using the scientific method, before any statistical analysis can be conducted, a researcher must generate a guess, or hypothesis about what is going on. The process begins with a Working Hypothesis . This is a direct statement of the research idea. For example, a plant biologist may think that plant height may be affected by applying different fertilizers. So they might say: " Plants with different fertilizers will grow to different heights ".

But according to the Popperian Principle of Falsification, we can't conclusively affirm a hypothesis, but we can conclusively negate a hypothesis. So we need to translate the working hypothesis into a framework wherein we state a null hypothesis that the average height (or mean height) for plants with the different fertilizers will all be the same. The alternative hypothesis (which the biologist hopes to show) is that they are not all equal, but rather some of the fertilizer treatments have produced plants with different mean heights. The strength of the data will determine whether the null hypothesis can be rejected with a specified level of confidence.

Pictured in the graph below, we can imagine testing three kinds of fertilizer and also one group of plants that are untreated (the control). The plant biologist kept all the plants under controlled conditions in the greenhouse, to focus on the effect of the fertilizer, the only thing we know to differ among the plants. At the end of the experiment, the biologist measured the height of each plant. Plant height is the dependent or response variable and is plotted on the vertical (\(y\)) axis. The biologist used a simple boxplot to plot the difference in the heights.

This boxplot is a customary way to show treatment (or factor) level differences. In this case, there was only one treatment: fertilizer. The fertilizer treatment had four levels that included the control, which received no fertilizer. Using this language convention is important because later on we will be using ANOVA to handle multi-factor studies (for example if the biologist manipulated the amount of water AND the type of fertilizer) and we will need to be able to refer to different treatments, each with their own set of levels.

Another alternative for viewing the differences in the heights is with a means plot (a scatter or interval plot):

This second method to plot the difference in the means of the treatments provides essentially the same information. However, this plot illustrates the variability in the data with 'error bars' that are the 95% confidence interval limits around the means.

In between the statement of a Working Hypothesis and the creation of the 95% confidence intervals used to create this means plot is a 7-step process of statistical hypothesis testing, presented in the following section.

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Methodology

• How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples

How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples

Published on May 6, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by scientific research. If you want to test a relationship between two or more variables, you need to write hypotheses before you start your experiment or data collection .

Example: Hypothesis

Daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor’s visits.

Table of contents

What is a hypothesis, developing a hypothesis (with example), hypothesis examples, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing hypotheses.

A hypothesis states your predictions about what your research will find. It is a tentative answer to your research question that has not yet been tested. For some research projects, you might have to write several hypotheses that address different aspects of your research question.

A hypothesis is not just a guess – it should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations and statistical analysis of data).

Variables in hypotheses

Hypotheses propose a relationship between two or more types of variables .

• An independent variable is something the researcher changes or controls.
• A dependent variable is something the researcher observes and measures.

If there are any control variables , extraneous variables , or confounding variables , be sure to jot those down as you go to minimize the chances that research bias  will affect your results.

In this example, the independent variable is exposure to the sun – the assumed cause . The dependent variable is the level of happiness – the assumed effect .

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Step 1. ask a question.

Writing a hypothesis begins with a research question that you want to answer. The question should be focused, specific, and researchable within the constraints of your project.

Step 2. Do some preliminary research

Your initial answer to the question should be based on what is already known about the topic. Look for theories and previous studies to help you form educated assumptions about what your research will find.

At this stage, you might construct a conceptual framework to ensure that you’re embarking on a relevant topic . This can also help you identify which variables you will study and what you think the relationships are between them. Sometimes, you’ll have to operationalize more complex constructs.

Step 3. Formulate your hypothesis

Now you should have some idea of what you expect to find. Write your initial answer to the question in a clear, concise sentence.

4. Refine your hypothesis

You need to make sure your hypothesis is specific and testable. There are various ways of phrasing a hypothesis, but all the terms you use should have clear definitions, and the hypothesis should contain:

• The relevant variables
• The specific group being studied
• The predicted outcome of the experiment or analysis

5. Phrase your hypothesis in three ways

To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in  if…then form. The first part of the sentence states the independent variable and the second part states the dependent variable.

In academic research, hypotheses are more commonly phrased in terms of correlations or effects, where you directly state the predicted relationship between variables.

If you are comparing two groups, the hypothesis can state what difference you expect to find between them.

6. Write a null hypothesis

If your research involves statistical hypothesis testing , you will also have to write a null hypothesis . The null hypothesis is the default position that there is no association between the variables. The null hypothesis is written as H 0 , while the alternative hypothesis is H 1 or H a .

• H 0 : The number of lectures attended by first-year students has no effect on their final exam scores.
• H 1 : The number of lectures attended by first-year students has a positive effect on their final exam scores.

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

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A hypothesis is not just a guess — it should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations and statistical analysis of data).

Null and alternative hypotheses are used in statistical hypothesis testing . The null hypothesis of a test always predicts no effect or no relationship between variables, while the alternative hypothesis states your research prediction of an effect or relationship.

Hypothesis testing is a formal procedure for investigating our ideas about the world using statistics. It is used by scientists to test specific predictions, called hypotheses , by calculating how likely it is that a pattern or relationship between variables could have arisen by chance.

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McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/hypothesis/

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Meaning of "working hypothesis" in the English dictionary

Pronunciation of working hypothesis, grammatical category of working hypothesis, what does working hypothesis mean in english, working hypothesis, definition of working hypothesis in the english dictionary.

The definition of working hypothesis in the dictionary is a suggested explanation for a group of facts or phenomena, accepted as a basis for further verification.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH WORKING HYPOTHESIS

Words that begin like working hypothesis, words that end like working hypothesis, synonyms and antonyms of working hypothesis in the english dictionary of synonyms, words relating to «working hypothesis», translation of «working hypothesis» into 25 languages.

TRANSLATION OF WORKING HYPOTHESIS

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Definition of 'working hypotheses'

Working hypotheses in british english, working hypothesis in british english.

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What is another word for working hypothesis ?

Synonyms for working hypothesis work·ing hy·poth·e·sis, this thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word working hypothesis ., we couldn't find direct synonyms for the term working hypothesis ., maybe you were looking for one of these terms.

working day , working dog , working end , working girl , working group , working hypothesis , working man , working memory , working out , working papers , working party

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working hypothesis

Definition of working hypothesis

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“Working hypothesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working%20hypothesis. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.

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