6 Steps to Formulate a STRONG Hypothesis | Scribbr 🎓

I'm sure you've heard of the proverb "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" Have you ever wonder if it's true? To test this, we have to formulate a proper hypothesis first. But what is a hypothesis?

Hi, I'm Jessica from Scribbr, here to help you achieve your academic goals. So, what's a hypothesis? A hypothesis is a tentative statement saying what you expect to find in your research.

It's not just a random guess, but a prediction based on existing knowledge. Now go grab an apple and munch on it while we dive into this topic! Here are six steps to formulate a strong hypothesis.

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.

Here I have a question: What are the health benefits of eating an apple a day? 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 an educated assumption.

For example, you found that apples are nutritious they're high in vitamin C that can boost your immune system. These are the health benefits that might contribute to fewer doctor's visits. Step 3, formulate your hypothesis After you've done your research write down your initial answer to the question in a clear and concise sentence For example daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor's visits.

Step 4, refine your hypothesis. In this step, you have to make sure the hypothesis is specific and testable. It should also contain the relevant variables.

The predicted outcome of the experiment or analysis, and the specific group being studied. So let's set our target group to people who are over 60 years old. Step 5, phrase your hypothesis in three ways.

First, we have the if-then form. If people over 60s consume an apple daily then they will visit the doctor less frequently The first part of the sentence - daily apple consumption - states the independent variable which is the cost. The second part states the dependent variable - frequency of doctor's visits - which is the effect.

The second way is to phrase the hypothesis in terms of a correlation or effect. For example, daily apple consumption in over-60s will result in a decreased frequency of doctor's visits. The third way of phrasing a hypothesis is by comparing two groups.

People over 60s who consumed an apple daily visit the doctor less frequently than those who don't. Step 6, write and null hypothesis. Now, if your research involves statistical hypothesis testing You also need to write a null hypothesis.

The null hypothesis assumes there's no effect between the variables. In this case, the null hypothesis is Daily apple consumption in over-60s will have no effect on the frequency of doctor's visits. If you want to see more example on how to formulate a hypothesis, check out the article in the description.