Hypothesis

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What is a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is a statement which introduces a research question and proposes an expected result.

What makes a good hypothesis?

• The hypothesis has the possibility of being proven false (i.e. there is a clear Null hypothesis and the terms used are well defined).
• The hypothesis is not a question, but is derived from your research question and the surrounding literature
• The hypothesis should be written in clear simple language, and the key terms should be well defined.
• Make sure your hypothesis is testable:
  • Think about what experiments need to be run to prove the hypothesis false
  • Identify the free-variables for the experiments and what needs to be varied
  • Include independent and dependent variables in the statement (makes sure the hypothesis is specific enough).

Some examples (of good and bad) Hypothesis.

Reward hypothesis (bad)

Predictive representation hypothesis (ok)

Dopamine Reward Prediction Error Hypothesis (good)