This presentation is based on the chapter 02 of Kerlinger's and gives the noted facts of the chapter as a summary.

1. Kerlinger Lee
Research Methods
Chapter 02
Problems and Hypotheses
C. Paranamana
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2. Lecture Outline
• Problems
• Criteria of Problems and Problem Statements
• Hypotheses
• Importance of Problems and Hypotheses
• Virtues of Problems and Hypotheses
• Problems, Values and Definitions
• Generality and Specificity of Problems and Hypotheses
• The Multivariable nature of Behavioral Research and Problems
• The Special Power of Hypotheses
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3. Problems
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The researcher is not always capable of formulating the
problem simply, clearly and completely
Researcher may take years to explore and research the problem
before stating it
The researcher may have general and confused notion of the
problem
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2
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4. Criteria of Problems and Problem Statements
• Key difficulty – most of the constructs are very difficult or impossible to define. So they can be measured
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Good
Problem
Statement
Stated clearly
and
unambiguously
Stated in
question form
State relations
between
variables
Should imply
possibilities of
empirical
testing

5. Hypotheses
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hypothesis
• A conjectural statement of the relation
between two or more variables
A Good Hypothesis
• State relation between two variables
• Carry clear implications for testing the
stated relations

6. The Importance of Problems and Hypotheses
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Are
Hypotheses
really
important and
indispensable?
Can be deduced
from theory and
other
hypotheses
Can be tested
and shown to be
probably true or
probably false
There would be
no science in
any complete
sense without
science
Hypotheses are
powerful tools
for the
advancement of
knowledge

7. Virtues of Problems and
Hypotheses
• Hypotheses are important bridges between theory and empirical
inquiry
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Direct the investigation by
telling investigators what to do
Enable the researcher to
deduce specific, empirical
manifestations implied by the
hypotheses
Problems and Hypotheses
advance scientific knowledge by
helping investigators confirm or
disconfirm theory

8. Problems, Values and Definitions
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Errors
scientific
problems are
not moral and
ethical
questions
poor and
frequently
formulated
hypotheses
listing
methodological
problems as sub-
problems

9. Generality and Specificity of
Problems and Hypotheses
• Too general hypotheses –
• Too specified hypotheses – trivial and inconsequential
* too specificity is maybe worse than too generality
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Too vague
to be tested
Scientifically
useless

10. The Multivariable Nature of
Behavioral Research and Problems
• Multivariable usage in behavioral researches as in psychology,
sociology, education etc.
• Instead of using if p then q, use if p1, p2…pk then q
Or
• If p then q under conditions s and t
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11. The Special Power of Hypotheses
• Hypothesis, one of the most powerful tools invested to achieve
dependable knowledge
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Power of prediction
---------------------------------------
power of eliminating one
possible explanation because
of negative findings for a
hypothesis