Writing Analytically, 6th Edition - Rosenwasser, David & Stephen, Jill [155]
The Hypothesis in the Natural and Social Sciences: Four Professors Speak
The following Voices from Across the Curriculum explain how a hypothesis functions in writing in their disciplines. Notice that in each case, although the hypothesis itself does not change, something does happen to it between introduction and conclusion.
Voices from Across the Curriculum
If the empirical evidence doesn’t confirm your hypothesis, you rethink your hypothesis, but it’s a complex issue. Researchers whose hypotheses are not confirmed often question their method (“if I had more subjects,” or “a better manipulation of the experimental group,” or “a better test of intelligence,” etc.) as much as their hypothesis. And that’s oft en legitimate. Part of the challenge of psychological research is its reliance on a long array of assumptions. Failure to confirm a hypothesis could mean a problem in any of that long array of assumptions. So failure to confirm your hypothesis is often difficult to interpret.
—Alan Tjeltveit, Professor of Psychology
The thesis in experimental psychology papers is the statement of the hypothesis. It is always carefully and explicitly stated in the last few sentences of the introduction. The hypothesis is usually a deductive statement such as: if color does influence mood, then an ambiguous picture printed on diff erent colors of paper should be interpreted diff erently, depending on the color of the paper. Specifically, based on the results of Jones (1997), the pink paper should cause participants to perceive the picture as a more calm and restful image, and the green paper should cause the picture to be interpreted as a more anxious image.
—Laura Edelman, Professor of Psychology
The thesis is usually presented in the abstract and then again at the end of the introduction. Probably the most frequent writing error is not providing a thesis at all. Sometimes this is because the student doesn’t have a thesis; other times, it is because the student wants to maintain a sense of mystery about the paper, as if driving toward a dramatic conclusion. This actually makes it harder to read. The best papers are clear and up front about what their point is, then use evidence and argument to support and evaluate the thesis. I encourage students to have a sentence immediately following their discussion of the background on the subject that can be as explicit as: “In this paper, I will argue that while research on toxic eff ects of methyl bromide provides troubling evidence for severe physiological eff ects, conclusive proof of a significant environmental hazard is lacking at this time.”
I try to avoid the use of the term “hypothesis.” I think it gives the false sense that scientists always start with an idea about how something works. Frequently, that is not the case. Some of the best science has actually come from observation. Darwin’s work on finches is a classic example. His ideas about adaptation probably derived from the observation.
—Bruce Wightman, Professor of Biology
Economists do make pretense to follow scientific methodology. Th us, we are careful not to mix hypothesis and conclusion. I think it’s important to distinguish between what is conjectured, the working hypothesis, and what ultimately emerges as a result of an examination of the evidence. Conclusions come only aft er some test has been passed.
—James Marshall, Professor of Economics
So, in the natural and social sciences, successive reformulations of the thesis are less likely to be recorded and may not even be expressly articulated. But, as in all disciplines, the primary analytical activity in the sciences is to repeatedly reconsider the assumptions on which a conclusion is based.
SIX STEPS FOR MAKING A THESIS EVOLVE
As an overarching guideline, acknowledge the questions that each new formulation of the thesis prompts you to ask. The thesis develops through successive complications. Allowing your thesis