What is a directional hypothesis?

What is a directional hypothesis?

• A. It states the expected direction of the difference between two conditions (one-tailed).
• B. It describes how data will be collected.
• C. It asserts there is no relation between the variables.
• D. It states a difference exists but the direction is unknown.

Answer: (A)

A directional hypothesis specifies the expected direction of the difference between two conditions, making it a one-tailed prediction. It’s not just forecasting a difference, but saying which condition will yield higher (or lower) outcomes. The other statements aren’t about predicting a direction: describing data collection isn’t a hypothesis about outcomes, claiming no relation is a null or non-directional stance, and saying a difference exists but the direction is unknown describes a non-directional (two-tailed) hypothesis.

A directional hypothesis specifies the expected direction of the difference between two conditions, making it a one-tailed prediction. It’s not just forecasting a difference, but saying which condition will yield higher (or lower) outcomes. The other statements aren’t about predicting a direction: describing data collection isn’t a hypothesis about outcomes, claiming no relation is a null or non-directional stance, and saying a difference exists but the direction is unknown describes a non-directional (two-tailed) hypothesis.