Directional Hypothesis
Directional hypotheses, also called one-tailed hypotheses, predict the specific direction in which variables are related or different. As opposed to non-directional hypotheses, which predict that there will be a relationship or difference between variables without specifying the direction, directional hypotheses indicate what direction the effect will likely go.
It is hypothesized that relationships or differences between variables exist in scientific research. Depending on the research question and the variables under investigation, hypotheses can be formulated differently. They provide a framework for designing studies, collecting data, and analyzing results.
An empirical or theoretical basis for a directional hypothesis is particularly useful when the relationship between variables is clearly in a specific direction.
Researchers can concentrate their efforts on testing a particular hypothesis when they can predict the direction of the effect clearly.