Confused about the differences between hypotheses and models? Hypotheses and theories? Theories and laws?
Perhaps this handout will help you to see the differences between these related concepts.
Hypothesis:
A specific prediction that can be tested.
Theory:
More complex than a hypothesis because a theory is a set of related hypotheses that may attempt to specify the relationship between a set of variables and some behavior. Usually, a theory summarizes a body of empirical evidence. Theories may be used to derive hypotheses, explain laws, or build models.
Model:
A model is a theory or set of theories applied to a specific are (job satisfaction) or situation. Often, the goal is to describe the exact mathematical relationships among variables in a certain situation. The cost of this precision is that models are generally narrower in scope that theories and may also tend to be less parsimonious.
Law:
A relationship between variables that has been so strongly supported by many studies that it is almost universally believed to be basically correct. That is, laws can be verified hypotheses. These laws are often expressed mathematically. Scientists may develop theories to explain the reason for well-documented, established lawful relationship between two or more variables. For example, scientists have theorized about why Weber’s Laws hold in many situations.