Legal Term for Hypothesis
When formulating a hypothesis, the examiner should not currently know what the result of a test is or whether it remains reasonably within the scope of the investigation. Only in such cases does experience, test, or study potentially increase the likelihood of showing the veracity of a hypothesis. [14]: pp. 17, 49-50 If the researcher already knows the result, he counts as a “consequence” – and the researcher should have already taken this into account when formulating the hypothesis. If predictions cannot be judged by observation or experiment, the hypothesis must be tested by others who provide observations. For example, a new technology or theory could make the necessary experiments possible. Words have precise meanings in science. For example, “theory”, “law” and “hypothesis” do not all mean the same thing. Outside of science, you might say that something is “just a theory,” meaning it`s an assumption that may or may not be true. In science, however, a theory is an explanation that is generally accepted as true. Here`s a closer look at these important, often misused terms. Another meaning of the term hypothesis is used in formal logic to designate the precursor of a sentence; thus, in the statement “If P, then Q”, P denotes the hypothesis (or the previous one); Q can be described as consistent. P is the hypothesis of a hypothetical (possibly counterfactual) question.
For example, if you don`t notice a difference in the cleanability of different laundry detergents, you can hypothesize that the cleaning efficiency is not affected by the detergent you use. This assumption can be refuted if you observe that a stain is removed by one detergent and not by another. On the other hand, you cannot prove the hypothesis. Even if you never see a difference in the cleanliness of your clothes after 1,000 cleaning products, there may still be one you haven`t tried yet that might be different. A hypothesis is usually preliminary; This is an acceptance or proposal made solely for the purpose of being tested. A scientific theory summarizes a hypothesis or group of hypotheses that have been supported by repeated testing. A theory is valid as long as there is no evidence to challenge it. Therefore, theories can be disproved. When evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, the hypothesis can be accepted as a good explanation of a phenomenon. One definition of a theory is to say that it is an accepted assumption. People refer to an experimental solution to a problem as a hypothesis, often called an “educated guess”[15][2] because it provides a proposed outcome based on evidence. However, some scientists dismiss the term “educated conjecture” as false.
Experimenters can test and reject several hypotheses before solving the problem. The Mount in Antarctica hypothesis is named in recognition of the hypothesis` role in scientific research. However, in unscientific usage, hypothesis and theory are often used interchangeably to simply signify an idea, speculation, or conjecture, with theory being the most common choice. A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that it be testable. Scientists usually base scientific hypotheses on previous observations that cannot be satisfactorily explained by available scientific theories. Although the words “hypothesis” and “theory” are often used interchangeably, a scientific hypothesis is not the same as a scientific theory. A working hypothesis is a provisionally accepted hypothesis proposed for further research,[1] in a process that begins with an assumption or informed thought. [2] One hypothesis is very preliminary; It can be easily modified. You might be interested in the historical significance of this term. Research or hypothesis research in historical law in the Encyclopedia of Law. When studying a possible correlation or a similar relationship between phenomena, for example whether a proposed remedy is effective in treating a disease, the hypothesis that a link exists cannot be examined in the same way as one might study a proposed new law of nature.
If in such a study the agent tested has no effect in some cases, they do not necessarily falsify the hypothesis.