Method of Writing
Research Papers 7
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RESEARCH HYPOTHESES, PURPOSES, AND QUESTIONS
A research hypothesis is a prediction of the outcome of a study. The
prediction may be based on an educated guess or a formal theory.
Example 1 is a hypothesis for a nonexperimental study.
Example 1
Hypothesis 1: First-grade girls have better reading comprehension than
first-grade boys.
In Example 1, the researcher predicts that he or she will find higher
reading comprehension among girls than boys. To test the prediction, a
nonexperimental study is appropriate because the hypothesis does not
suggest that treatments will reveal meaningful information. A simple
research hypothesis predicts a relationship between two variables. The
two variables in Example 1 are (1) gender and (2) reading
comprehension. The hypothesis states that reading comprehension is
related to gender. The hypothesis in Example 2 is for an experimental
study.

Example 2
Hypothesis 2: Children who are shown a video that depicts
mild violence will be more aggressive on the playground
than those who are shown a similar video without violence.
In Example 2, the independent variable is violence (mild vs.
no violence), and the dependent variable is aggressiveness
on the playground. The hypotheses in Examples 1 and 2 are
both examples of directional hypotheses because
researchers predict the direction of the outcome (better
scores or more aggression). Sometimes, researchers have a
nondirectional hypothesis. Consider Example 3.

Example 3
Hypothesis 3: The child-rearing practices of blue-collar
parents are different from those of white-collar parents.
The author of Example 3 states that there will be a
difference, but the author does not predict the direction of
the difference. This is perfectly acceptable when there is no
basis for making an educated guess as to the outcome of a
study. Instead of a nondirectional hypothesis, a researcher
might state a research purpose. Example 4 shows a research
purpose that corresponds to the nondirectional hypothesis
in Example 3.

Example 4
The research purpose is to explore differences in childrearing practices between blue-collar and white-collar
parents. A research question may also be substituted for a
nondirectional hypothesis. Example 5 shows a research
question that corresponds to the nondirectional hypothesis
in Example 3 and the research purpose in Example 4.
Example 5
The research question is “How do the child-rearing practices
differ between blue-collar and white-collar parents?”
When using a research question as the basis for research,
researchers usually do not state it as a question that can be
answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” as is the case in
Example 6.

Example 6
The research question is “Do the child-rearing practices of blue-collar
and white-collar parents differ?” Example 6 merely asks, “Do they
differ?” This is not a very interesting research question because it
implies that the results of the research will be only a simple “yes” or
“no.” Example 5 is superior because it asks, “How do they differ?”—a
question that implies that the results will be complex and, thus, more
interesting and informative. The choice between organizing research
using a nondirectional hypothesis, a research purpose, or a research
question is purely a matter of personal taste—all are acceptable
in the scientific community. When researchers are willing and able to
predict the outcome of a study, they state a directional hypothesis—not
a research purpose or question. In other words, a research purpose or a
research question is a suitable substitute for a nondirectional
hypothesis. It is inappropriate to use these as substitutes for a
directional hypothesis.

Those who have read research reports in journals may have
encountered references to another type of hypothesis: the
null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is one that the
researcher tries to disprove. “Null” is the default position
that no relationship exists between two or more variables.
This is a statistical hypothesis that needs to be considered
when analyzing results obtained from samples in
quantitative research studies. The null hypothesis will be
explored in detail in Topic 66.

TOPIC REVIEW
1. Which type of statement (hypothesis, purpose, or
question) predicts the outcome of a study?
2. “It is hypothesized that college students who have firm
career goals achieve higher GPAs than those who do not
have firm career goals.” Is this a “directional” or a
“nondirectional” hypothesis?
3. “It is hypothesized that children of immigrants and
children of native-born citizens differ in their attitudes
toward school.” Is this a “directional” or a “nondirectional”
hypothesis?

4. “Are children of alcoholics different from children of
nonalcoholics in their social adjustment?” Is this research
question stated appropriately? Why? Why not?
5. When researchers are willing to predict the outcome of a
study, should they state a “directional” or a “nondirectional”
hypothesis?
6. What are the two alternatives to stating a nondirectional
hypothesis?
7. Consider nondirectional hypotheses, research purposes,
and research questions. Are all three acceptable in the
scientific community or is one type preferred over the
others?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Restate this hypothesis as a research purpose: “It is
hypothesized that there is a difference in job satisfaction
between those who receive regular feedback on their job
performance and those who receive irregular feedback.”
2. Is the hypothesis in Question 1 “directional” or
“nondirectional”? Explain.
3. Could an experiment be conducted to test the hypothesis
in Question 1? Explain.
4. Restate the following hypothesis as a research question:
“It is hypothesized that those who exercise regularly and
those who do not exercise regularly differ in other behaviors
that affect health.”

RESEARCH PLANNING
State a research hypothesis, purpose, or question for the
research you are planning. (Note: You may have more than
one of each.)

Good luck!