Hypotheses Exercise

							                        CONSTRUCTING HYPOTHESES EXERCISE

Spend some time in class going over the sample research questions that follow. Ask students to
write research hypotheses (individually or in small groups) for some of these questions and then
write the equivalent null hypotheses. Ask students to indicate the independent and dependent
variables and to indicate whether the hypotheses are about differences between groups or
relationships between variables.

A. Does humor in TV advertising affect male and female viewers differently?

B. Are 5-year-old children more likely to believe television advertising than are 10-year-old
   children?

C. What is the effect of negative political campaigns on the candidate who uses them? In other
   words, if a political candidate debates only the issues, will he/she be perceived as weaker or
   stronger than the candidate who also debates the personal qualities of his/her opponent?

D. What is the effect of a teacher's use of space in the classroom on student learning?

E. Does the use of humor by a teacher increase student learning?

F. Do able-bodied individuals adapt or change their communication when they interact with a
   person who has a visible physical disability?

G. As the consequences of getting caught in a deception become more severe, do people actually
   lie better?

H. Do men and women use different conflict strategies depending on the type of context?

I. Will a person who scores high in need for affiliation react differently to criticism than a person
   who scores moderate or low in need for affiliation?

J. What is the effect of biological sex (male/female) and level of relationship commitment
   (dating/married) on the likelihood of admitting infidelity to one's partner?

K. What is the relationship between self-disclosure and liking?

L. What are the effects of parental alcoholism on a child's communication patterns?

M. In what ways do images of proper social and personal conduct differ across three types of
  music: rock, country, and rhythm & blues?

N. Do photographs affect the comprehension and retention of newspaper (or magazine) stories?

O. Is the level of satisfaction in their relationships different for heavy viewers of television soap
   operas when compared to the relationships of non-viewers?