Week 2 Hypothesis Structuring from Slides

Question 1

What are the key components regarding the literature review are required when setting out my initial research question?

Answer 1

• know the research area well
• Read methods & results sections in each article for literature review.
• Ask what’s been done before, how was it done, what were the results & why does it require clarification &/or replication. Is there a gap?

Question 2

Once I have reviewed the literature, what are the key components required when structuring my research design?

Answer 2

• What am I trying to ascertain - What unique question do I hope to answer
• Can the aim or purpose of my research be measured
• how will you go about constructing the research design? -is the question testable?
• How will I operationalize variables.
• Are instruments reliable & valid?

Question 3

Why is a good hypothesis essential?

Answer 3

*A good hypothesis underpins good research design & analysis. Carefully worded it will create less stress at the analysis stage.

Question 4

What does Neuman (2011) tell us about hypothesis testing?

Answer 4

• Knowledge rarely advances by the testing a single hypothesis but rather knowledge develops over time
• Each hypothesis represents an explanation & if evidence fails to support the hypothesis, they’re gradually eliminated from further research in the area.
• However, even if support is obtained then it’s only support given to that proposition, it is never proven
• The principle of replication: hypotheses require repeated support before gaining broad acceptance

Question 5

What is the purpose of a hypothesis?

Answer 5

Hypothesis are used to test the direction and strength of a relationship between variables in a correlational design, for example

Question 6

Neuman & Karl Popper both discuss falsification testing of null & alternative hypothesis (a.k.a. an experimental hypothesis), With Neuman viewing hypotheses as links in a “causal chain”. How do researchers treat evidence from a hypothesis?

Answer 6

Researchers treat evidence that supports a hypothesis differently from evidence that opposes it.
*However, identifying negative evidence is critical when evaluating the hypothesis. Linked to logic of the disconfirming hypotheses.

Question 7

What does Neuman say the logic of the disconfirming hypothesis (which is the logic of the null hypothesis) is based on?

Answer 7

The idea that confirming empirical evidence makes a weak case for the existence of a relationship; instead of gathering supporting evidence, testing that no relationship exists provides more cautious, indirect support for its possible existence

Question 8

Okay, so what exactly is a null hypothesis (H0)?

Answer 8

• “A hypothesis stating that there is no significant effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable” (Neuman, 2011, p. 183)
• Statistically this is what is tested in the analysis.

Question 9

And what is the alternative (H1) hypothesis testing?

Answer 9

• The alternative hypothesis is paired with the null hypothesis.
• It states that an independent variable has a significant effect on a dependent variable

Question 10

I have heard that Double-Barrelled hypothesis are a bad thing, what is one?

Answer 10

“A confusing and poorly designed hypothesis with two independent variables in which it is unclear whether one or the other variable or both in combination produce an effect” (Neuman, 2011, p. 183)

Question 11

What does Hills have to say on the topic of hypothesis testing?

Answer 11

• Research needs to be based on a clear & concise research question.
• Reference to existing theory leads to the expression of the research question as a hypothesis.
• This is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables.
• The aim of the research is then to test the research hypothesis, by finding evidence that either supports or refutes it.

Question 12

What does Hills say about the possible relationships between variables?

Answer 12

Variables can be:

• positively related (as one increases the other increases), -negatively related (as one increases the other decreases)
• or unrelated (changes in one are not associated with any predictable change in the other).
• In experimental research causal relationships are investigated by looking for differences between groups treated differently.

Question 13

What are some common logical errors to avoid when developing a good explanation for any theory?

Answer 13

• Tautology
• Teleology
• Ecological Fallacy
• Reductionism
• Spuriousness (false, mirage)

Question 14

What is Tautology?

Answer 14

• Circular Reasoning
• An explanation error where the causal factor and the result are actually the same or restatements of one another, making an apparent causal relationship true by definition
• E.g.: Poverty is caused by having limited finances.

Question 15

What is Teleology?

Answer 15

• Intention is inappropriate or there is a misplaced temporal ordering
• An explanation error where the causal relationship is empirically untestable as the causal factor does not come earlier in time than the result
• or the causal factor is a vague general force that cannot be empirically measured
• E.g.: People get married in religious ceremonies because of societal rules.

Question 16

What is an ecological fallacy?

Answer 16

• Empirical observations at too high a level for the causal relationship offered
• An explanation error where empirical data about associations found among large-scale units of analysis are greatly overgeneralised & treated as evidence for statements about the relationships among much smaller units

Question 17

What is Reductionism?

Answer 17

• Empirical observations at too low a level for the causal relationship offered
• An explanation error where empirical data about associations found among small-scale units of analysis are greatly overgeneralised and treated as evidence for statements about relationships among much larger units

Question 18

What’s something useful to consider when trying to remember ecological fallacy & reductionism?

Answer 18

• Both are explanation errors where empirical data about associations found among units of analysis are greatly overgeneralised and treated as evidence for statements about other relationships
• ecological fallacy refers to Large-scale units being overgeneralised to apply to much smaller units
• reductionism refers to small-scale units being overgeneralised to apply to larger units

Question 19

What is spuriousness?

Answer 19

• Unseen 3rd variable is actual cause for both the IV & DV
• An apparent causal relationship that is illusionary due to the effect of an unseen or initially hidden causal factor; *the unseen 3rd variable has a causal impact on both an IV & DV producing the false impression that a relationship between them exists
• Liesl’s example of ice cream, swimming & hot weather

Question 20

What are the 5 characteristics of casual hypotheses?

Answer 20

1. They have at least 2 variables
2. They express a causal or cause-effect relationship between the variables
3. They can be expressed as a prediction or an expected future outcome
4. They are logically linked to a research question & theory
5. They are falsifiable; that is, they are capable of being tested against empirical evidence & shown to either support or not support a hypothesis/research question

Question 21

What must I do for all types of quantitative research?

Answer 21

*I must narrow a topic into more specific, focused research question/s or hypothesis/es.

Question 22

What is the most effective approach when writing my hypothesis for quantitative research?

Answer 22

*Is to strongly links to the topic you select, the purpose/aim of my research and the intent of the findings.

Question 23

What type of research tools might my analysis incorporate?

Answer 23

*observations
*questionnaires
*MRI scans
*behavioural responses
& so on

Question 24

If clinical quantitative research, what might the purpose of my research be?

Answer 24

*to identify patterns
*differences
*similarities
*path models
etc.

Question 25

What might guide my research intent?

Answer 25

The nature of the publications I find may guide the intent of my research