Null Hypothesis

Alyazia Juma Al Muhairi
201013709
Communication research methods (52)

Null Hypothesis
The null hypothesis, is an essential part of any research design, and is always tested, even indirectly. The 'null' often refers to the common view of something, and so the null hypothesis (H0) is a hypothesis in which the researcher tries to disprove, reject or nullify.
Examples of the Null Hypothesis
A researcher may postulate a hypothesis:
H1: Tomato plants exhibit a higher rate of growth when planted in compost rather than in soil.
And a null hypothesis:
H0: Tomato plants do not exhibit a higher rate of growth when planted in compost rather than soil.
It is important to carefully select the wording of the null, and ensure that it is as specific as possible. For example, the researcher might postulate a null hypothesis:
H0: Tomato plants show no difference in growth rates when planted in compost rather than soil.
There is a major flaw with this H0. If the plants actually grow more slowly in compost than in soil, an impasse is reached. H1 is not supported, but neither is H0, because there is a difference in growth rates.
If the null is rejected, with no alternative, the experiment may be invalid. This is the reason why science uses a battery of deductive and inductive processes to ensure that there are no flaws in the hypotheses.

Resources: https://explorable.com/null-hypothesis