research hypothesis

a statement describing the investigator’s expectation about the pattern of data that may result from a given study. By stating specific expectations before the data are collected, the investigator makes a commitment about the direction (e.g., Method A will yield higher final exam scores than Method B) and magnitude (e.g., participants’ income will increase with more education) of potential relationships based on the study’s theoretical framework and related prior studies. See also alternative hypothesis; null hypothesis.

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Psychology term of the day

December 26th 2024

institutionalized racism

differential treatment of individuals on the basis of their racial group by religious organizations, governments, businesses, the media, educational institutions, and other large social entities. Examples include discrimination in hiring, promotion, and advancement at work; restrictive housing regulations that promote segregation; unfair portrayal of minority members in newspapers and magazines; and legal statutes that restrict the civil liberties of the members of specific racial categories. A parallel phenomenon exists for sexism. Also called institutional racism.