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Block 1 Unit 4 Hypothesis Formulation and Sampling

1. Study the following research questions and state the possible hypothesis with specify their types specify their types.

1. Is physical attractiveness related to friendship?
   • Hypothesis: There is a relationship between physical attractiveness and friendship. (Type: Relational Hypothesis)
2. Does age of a child effect the learning of new language?
   • Hypothesis: Age of a child affects the learning of a new language. (Type: Causal Hypothesis)

2. Define hypothesis and explain its characteristics.

A hypothesis is a tentative, testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables. Characteristics include being simple, specific, conceptually clear, verifiable, rooted in knowledge, and operationalizable.

3. Write short notes on:

• Formulation of hypothesis: Involves developing a testable statement based on a research question after reviewing literature and existing theories.
• Null hypothesis: A statement of no effect or no relationship between variables, which the researcher tries to disprove.
• Alternative hypothesis: A statement of a specific effect or relationship that the researcher is trying to support.

4. Write a hypothesis which incorporates each pair of concepts listed below: a) academic achievement and teaching methods b) education and social prestige c) frustration and need for achievement

• a) Different teaching methods will have varying effects on academic achievement.
• b) There is a positive correlation between higher levels of education and social prestige.
• c) Higher levels of frustration lead to an increased need for achievement.

5. What is sampling? Discuss its importance.

Sampling is the process of selecting a subset of a population to study. It is important for cost-effectiveness, speed, accuracy and data quality.

6. What is simple random sampling. Discuss its advantages and disadvantages.

• Simple random sampling is a method where every individual in a population has an equal chance of being selected.
• Advantages: It is unbiased and easy to implement.
• Disadvantages: It may not always be representative of the population, especially if the population has sub-groups.

7. What do you mean by probability sampling method? Discuss any two types of probability sampling methods.

1. Probability sampling methods involve random selection, so each member of the population has a known chance of being selected.
2. Two types:
• Simple Random Sampling: Each member has an equal chance of selection.
• Stratified Random Sampling: The population is divided into strata (subgroups) and then a random sample is taken from each stratum.

8. Define the following:

• Sampling unit: A sampling unit is each individual or case that becomes the basis for selecting a sample.
• Population: A population is a well-defined set of all elements that pertain to a given characteristic. It refers to the whole that includes all observations or measurements of a given characteristic. A population is also called a universe. It may be defined as any identifiable and well-specified group of individuals. Populations may be finite or infinite.
  • A finite population is one where all the members can be easily counted.
  • An infinite population is one whose size is unlimited and cannot be easily counted.
• Sampling frame: A sampling frame is a list of all the units of the population from which the sample is taken. It should be comprehensive, complete, and up-to-date.

Important Points

1. Hypothesis is considered as tentative and testable statement of the possible relationship between two or more variables.

2. Hypothesis can be put in the form of an if then statement.

3. Hypothesis is formulated prior to review of literature.

4. Absence of knowledge of a theoretical framework is a major difficulty in formulating a hypothesis.

5. Formulation of a hypothesis enhances objectivity in the study.

6. Null hypothesis is denoted by H0.

7. If the hypothesis is accepted then researcher can replicate the results.

8.  Rejection of a null hypothesis when it is true is called type I error.

9. Alternative hypothesis specifies values that researcher believes to hold true.

10. Hypothesis can be stated directional and non directional.

11. Any identifiable and well specified group of individual is known as population.

12. List of all the units of the population is called sampling frame.

13. Purposes of sampling is to derive the desired information about the population at the minimum cost and maximum reliability.

14. The way the researcher selects the sample is known as sampling design.

15. Sample is the miniature picture of entire group.

16. Non probability sampling is one which there is no way of assessing the probability of the element or group of element of population, being included in the sample.

17. Stratified sampling is more representative for the population than other methods.

18. Snowball technique is not a probability sampling method.

19. Cluster sampling method sometimes known as multi stage sampling method. 

20. Simple random sampling is the core technique and attaches equal probability to each unit of the population to be selected.