What best defines a hypothesis?

• A. An educated guess.
• B. A proven fact.
• C. A research method.
• D. A data pattern.

Answer: (A)

A hypothesis is an educated guess about a relationship between variables that you can test through research. It states what you expect to happen and provides a specific, testable statement that researchers examine with data. It isn’t a proven fact; rather, it’s a tentative statement that can be supported or refuted by evidence gathered in a study. It’s not a research method, and it isn’t a pattern you observe in data—that comes from analyzing results after testing the hypothesis. For example, you might hypothesize that a health promotion education program will increase fruit and vegetable intake, and then collect data to see if the intake actually rises. If the data don’t support it, the hypothesis can be revised or rejected.