Purpose
This discussion board helps you practice writing and judging research hypotheses. You will choose a simple research topic from psychology, ABA, or speech-language work, ask an AI tool to generate three different hypotheses, and then rank and explain those hypotheses using what you have learned in Module 3.
Part 1 – Choose a Topic and Write Your Research Problem and Question
First, choose a simple research topic from psychology, applied behavior analysis (ABA), or speech-language pathology (SLP). Pick something that interests you and is related to these fields. Here are three sample topics (you may not use these for your own assignment): - Stress and sleep - Reinforcement and behavior - Language practice and vocabulary growth.
These examples show you the right type of topic, but you must choose a different topic of your own. Do not choose a private or very personal topic. Before you use any AI tool, write your own research problem (2–3 sentences) and research question (1 sentence). You will use both later in your AI prompt and in your discussion post.
Part 2 – Use AI to Generate Three Hypotheses
Open the AI tool you want to use (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude). Paste the exact prompt below in red, replacing the bracketed part with your own research question.
I am an undergraduate student in a psychology research methods course. My research question is: “[type your research question here].” Please write three different hypotheses about this question. The three hypotheses should include: - one bad or unclear hypothesis - one average hypothesis - one good hypothesis Please present the three hypotheses in a random order so I do not know which one is which. Do not explain the hypotheses. Just give me three hypothesis sentences, labeled 1, 2, and 3.
Do not ask AI which hypothesis is best or ask it to explain anything. You must copy and paste your entire AI conversation directly into Blackboard.
Part 3 – Rank the Hypotheses and Explain Your Reasoning
Rank the three hypotheses from worst to best (1 = worst, 3 = best), then explain your reasoning in 4–6 sentences. You must explain the if–then logic of the hypothesis you ranked as best and why it makes the hypothesis clear and testable.
Part 4 – Post Your Work in the Discussion Board
You must complete all parts of this assignment in one single discussion board box in Blackboard. Do not upload or attach any Word documents or other files. Everything must be typed or pasted directly into the Discussion Board box.
Your post must include: 1. Your research problem – type or paste 2. Your research question – type or paste 3. Your full AI conversation – paste the entire prompt and full AI response. (Your prompt must include your own research question.) 4. Your ranked list of hypotheses – type or paste 5. Your explanation of your ranking – type or paste 4–6 sentences 6. Your AI attribution statement (1–2 sentences) – explain how you used AI. (Missing this results in a zero.)
Evaluation Criteria (10 points + 1 possible extra credit)
Criterion | Points ----------|-------- Research problem and research question (typed or pasted clearly) | 2 Full AI conversation pasted correctly (prompt + full AI response) | 2 Ranking of hypotheses (worst to best) | 2 Explanation of ranking, including if–then logic of best hypothesis | 2 Two meaningful written replies to classmates | 2 Extra Credit: Early submission (48 hrs before deadline) | +1
Why This Task Matters
This assignment helps you learn how to judge and improve research hypotheses. You will practice seeing the difference between weak and strong hypotheses and learn why clear if–then logic matters in research.