Which among the following are correct in the light of hypothesis? A. It is…
2024
Which among the following are correct in the light of hypothesis?
A. It is proved assumption
B. It should be capable of being tested
C. It should be inconsistent with the most known facts
D. It should state the relationship between variables
E. It should be limited in scope and must be specific
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer: B. B, D and E only — ConceptA hypothesis is a tentative, unproved proposition advanced before evidence is collected; it is retained or rejected only after empirical testing, so…
- A.
A and C only
- B.
B, D and E only
- C.
A, B and C only
- D.
B, C and D only
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
A hypothesis is a tentative, unproved proposition advanced before evidence is collected; it is retained or rejected only after empirical testing, so being "proved" is the outcome of testing, never a precondition.
The standard criteria for a well-formed hypothesis are: it must be empirically testable, it must be stated as a relationship between two or more variables, it must be conceptually clear, it must be limited in scope and specific, and it must be consistent with the bulk of established facts and existing theory in the field.
Application
Each listed statement is checked against those criteria.
Statement | What it asserts | Against the criteria |
|---|---|---|
A | A hypothesis is a proved assumption. | Contradicts the definition — a hypothesis is tentative and stands only until testing decides it. |
B | It should be capable of being tested. | Matches the testability criterion. |
C | It should be inconsistent with the most known facts. | Reverses the criterion — consistency with most known facts is what is required. |
D | It should state the relationship between variables. | Matches the criterion that a hypothesis relate two or more variables. |
E | It should be limited in scope and must be specific. | Matches the specificity and limited-scope criterion. |
Cross-check
A fails on definition: an assumption that is already proved is a verified fact, law or conclusion — nothing is left to test, so it can no longer function as a hypothesis.
C fails on direction: a hypothesis must sit consistently with the established body of facts and theory; only after it has been tested may it revise them. Deliberate inconsistency with most known facts makes a hypothesis untenable rather than good.
B, D and E each restate a standard requirement — empirical testability, an explicit relationship between variables, and a specific, narrowly bounded scope.
Hence the statements that are correct in the light of a hypothesis are B, D and E, and the answer is "B, D and E only".