好的研究假設

Example: Parents who enroll their children in after-school programs will miss fewer days of work in one year and will have a more positive attitude toward work, as measured by the Attitude Toward Work survey, than will parents who do not enroll their children in such programs.

1. 一個好的研究假設是以聲明而非以問題的形式表述。別使用 "Do you think parents and the companies...?"
2. 一個好的研究假設會提出研究者期望之變數間的關係。前述假設描述了"after-school child care", "parents' attitude toward work", "absentee rate" 之間的關係。
3. 一個好的研究假設會反映出所立基的文獻或相關理論。前述假設或許是基於以下文獻的探討：父母若知道他們的小孩在一個結構性的環境下被照料，父母將會有較高的工作生產力。而，課後安親班就代表這樣的一個環境。
4. 研究假設必須簡短、切中要點。
5. 研究假設必須是可試驗的(testable)、可評量的。試著想想在前述假設中的三個變數要如何衡量？有沒有 了"after-school child care"問就知道了； "parents' attitude toward work"可以用 Attitude Toward Work survey量表衡量(順帶一提，這個量表是課本中假想的量表) , "absentee rate"可以從打卡情況看得出來。

如果把這個研究假設改成... "Parents who enroll their children in after-school care feel better about their jobs"，那...

資料來源：Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics