A brief note on verification and falsification: for Housing Studies students

A brief note on verification and falsification in hypothesis testing: for Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai)

My question: "Briefly explain the topics of (1) falsification and (2) verification of hypothesis testing in the context of Housing Studies research.

The reply: "In the context of Housing Studies research, hypothesis testing involves formulating a null hypothesis (usually representing no effect or no relationship) and an alternative hypothesis (representing the presence of an effect or relationship). Verification in this context refers to gathering evidence to support or fail to reject the null hypothesis based on sample data, typically using statistical significance tests. However, strict verification—proving a hypothesis true with absolute certainty—is generally not possible in social science research, including Housing Studies.

Falsification, as introduced by philosopher Karl Popper and applied in hypothesis testing, focuses on disproving or rejecting hypotheses rather than verifying them. In Housing Studies, falsification involves rigorously testing hypotheses to identify conditions or data that contradict the hypothesis, which strengthens the research's scientific validity. The goal is to seek evidence that could falsify the null hypothesis rather than confirm it, thereby providing a more robust basis for concluding relationships and causation in housing research.

This approach is essential because researchers can never be completely certain that their hypothesis is true; they can only demonstrate that it has not yet been falsified. For example, a hypothesis about the impact of housing quality on residents' health can be tested by looking for evidence that disproves this link. If no such evidence is found, the hypothesis stands with provisional acceptance. However, finding contradictory evidence would lead to its rejection or revision.

In summary:

• Verification involves trying to find evidence that supports the hypothesis but cannot prove it conclusively.

• Falsification involves attempting to disprove the hypothesis, strengthening research rigor by focusing on eliminating incorrect hypotheses.

• Both concepts are fundamental in Housing Studies for validating relationships between housing variables and outcomes and ensuring research reliability and scientific soundness."

** also study a video on falsifiability.

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.