GlossariesGCSE GlossariesGCSE Psychology GlossaryHypothesis

Hypothesis - GCSE Psychology Definition

Reviewed by: Raj Bonsor

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A hypothesis is a clear and specific statement that predicts what you think will happen in an experiment or study.

In psychology, it often suggests a relationship between two variables. For example, a hypothesis might state that "students who sleep more than eight hours a night will perform better on tests than those who sleep less." It’s important because it gives direction to research and helps scientists know what they are trying to find out.

Once the experiment is done, scientists can see if the results support the hypothesis or not.

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Raj Bonsor

Reviewer: Raj Bonsor

Expertise: Psychology & Sociology Content Creator

Raj joined Save My Exams in 2024 as a Senior Content Creator for Psychology & Sociology. Prior to this, she spent fifteen years in the classroom, teaching hundreds of GCSE and A Level students. She has experience as Subject Leader for Psychology and Sociology, and her favourite topics to teach are research methods (especially inferential statistics!) and attachment. She has also successfully taught a number of Level 3 subjects, including criminology, health & social care, and citizenship.

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