null hypothesis

Categories: Site glossary

In confirmatory research there is a hypothesis that is tested. Usually the hypothesis can be worded either in a positive or negative sense (e.g., eye colour will be associated with scores on the chemical kinetics test; eye colour will not be associated with scores on the chemical kinetics test). The choice of the hypothesis that an effect will be found (i.e., reaches statistical significance) is called the null hypothesis.

Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.