Hi, i am pretty new to social research and wondering how to write a null hypothesis statement. I've recently read a paper by Kibler, (2013) that have these proposition :
Proposition 1: The impact of regional conditions on entrepreneurial intentions is mediated by attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control.
Proposition 2: Regional conditions moderate the impact of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control on entrepreneurial intentions.
Source : Kibler, E. (2013). Formation of entrepreneurial intentions in a regional context. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 25(3-4), 293-323. doi:10.1080/08985626.2012.721008
i'am wondering if i am constructing a hypothesis that is very similliar with those above, how should i write the null and alternate hypothesis statement?
Hi,
The two propositions that you quote are worded as alternate hypotheses. This is because they each propose that one variable has an effect on, or relationship with, another variable.
Specifically, in this case the proposition is that one variable (e.g., "regional conditions") has an effect on (e.g., "moderates") the relationships among another set of variables (e.g., "the impact of attitude [etc.] on entrepreneurial intentions").
In contrast, a null hypothesis asserts that there is no relationship between variables, no effect of one variable on another, no difference between groups, etc.
So, the null hypothesis for Proposition 1 might be expressed like this:
"The impact of regional conditions on entrepreneurial intentions is unaffected by attitude [etc.]"
Likewise, the null hypothesis for Proposition 2 might be stated as:
"Regional conditions have no effect on the impact of attitude [etc.] on entrepreneurial intentions."
The key point is that the null hypothesis asserts that there is no effect (or correlation, relationship, difference, etc.), while the alternate hypothesis asserts that there is an effect (or correlation, relationship, difference, etc.).
Hope that helps
RLB
Thank you very much Richard for your answer.
i just want to confirm one thing regarding the proposition 1. if somehow null hypothesis ("The impact of regional conditions on entrepreneurial intentions is unaffected by attitude [etc.]") become the accepted one, it does not imply that regional conditions have "direct" effect on entrepreneurial intentions, does it?
Null hypothesis have become old fashion now days. You can use alternative hypothesis by following main ketwords in hypothesis for mediator (Intervening, Via, indirect effect), and Moderator (High vs low, strong vs weak).
@Naveed Ahmad: thanks for the suggestion, but my university requires me to write one. so i think i have no choice
Article Mediators and moderators in early intervention research
Propositions cannot be quantitatively analysis as they are qualitative in nature. Hypotheses that are different than propositions purely quantitative in nature. If you want to write a null hypothesis, you can start writing as "there is no mediation effect on x from y and z” or “X does not moderate the relationship between Y and Z".
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