ExpertMedium2 marksExtended Response
Research MethodsHypothesisLanguage, thought and communication
AQA GCSE · Question 10.1
A psychologist named Yuki conducted a study into how different cultures interpret emoticons. He showed Japanese and American participants a set of emoticons with conflicting eye and mouth expressions, for example, happy eyes with a sad mouth. He measured how they rated the emotion of the face.
Write a suitable alternative hypothesis for Yuki's study of emoticons.
A psychologist named Yuki conducted a study into how different cultures interpret emoticons. He showed Japanese and American participants a set of emoticons with conflicting eye and mouth expressions, for example, happy eyes with a sad mouth. He measured how they rated the emotion of the face.
Write a suitable alternative hypothesis for Yuki's study of emoticons.
How to approach this question
An alternative hypothesis must predict a difference or a relationship between two conditions. It needs to be operationalised, meaning the variables are clearly stated and measurable. Identify the independent variable (IV - culture of participants) and the dependent variable (DV - how emotion is rated/which facial feature is focused on). State that there will be a difference between the two groups and what that difference will be.
Full Answer
A hypothesis is a testable statement. An alternative hypothesis (H1) predicts that there will be an effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. In Yuki's study, the IV is the culture of the participant (Japanese or American) and the DV is their interpretation of the emoticon's emotion. A good hypothesis should be operationalised, meaning it specifies how the variables will be measured. The answer provided is a directional hypothesis because it predicts the specific direction of the difference (Japanese focus on eyes, Americans on mouth).
Common mistakes
Writing a null hypothesis (predicting no difference) or an aim (what the study is about) instead of an alternative hypothesis. Also, not fully operationalising the variables.
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