HYPOTHETICO-DEDUCTIVE METHOD

HYPOTHETICO-DEDUCTIVEMETHODParul Agarwal A001 Introduction Hypothetico-deductive method,also called H-D method or H-D, procedure for the construction of a scientific theory that will account for results obtained through direct observation and experimentation and that will, through inference, predict further effects that can then be verified or disproved by empirical evidence derived from other experiments.Stages in Hypothetico-Deductive MethodFormulation of Hypothesis as Deductive MethodCollection of additional facts, and modification of the hypothesis if necessaryDeductive developmentTesting of hypothesisFormulation of hypothesis as a tentative solution: when a familiar solution fails to account for the observation, or when new facts cannot be explained by the known laws, a problem is felt. The scientist puts forward a tentative solution, called hypothesis.Collection of additional facts, and modification of the hypothesis if necessary: a hypothesis is a guess. A scientist has to find out whether his guess is supported by facts. So using the hypothesis as a guide, he observes new facts which are relevant to the problem. The additional facts that are collected may support his hypothesis. In that case the hypothesis will be retained.Deductive development of hypothesis: after a hypothesis is formulated the scientist predicts certain observed facts from it. These predictions are the consequences deduced from the hypothesis. All scientific investigations do not involve this stage. Certain kinds of hypothesis can be directly tested they do not require deductive development. Testing of hypothesis: a hypothesis is tested by appeal to facts. If the deducted consequences occur, it is said to be confirmed. If they do not, it is said to be disconfirmed. A hypothesis may be tested either by observing facts or by conducting experiments. When the consequences of a hypothesis agree with the hypothesis, it is confirmed. If the hypothesis is a generalization or a theory, it is said to be well-established only after it has been confirmed under widely differing circumstances, over a period of time. Definition of Hypothesis Hypothesis can be defined as a tentative supposition, which is put forward for explaining the facts that cannot be understood without it.Characteristics Attempt at explanation Provisional Organizing Principle Result of Rational Activity Conditions of a Sound HypothesisRelevance Self-Consistency A Hypothesis must be capable of deductive developmentTestability A hypothesis should be compatible with previous existing lawSimplicity A sound hypothesis must provide a satisfactory solution as the other existing hypothesis