Question
What is an ad hoc hypothesis?
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GPT-4o mini
An ad hoc hypothesis is a hypothesis that is created to explain a specific set of observations or data, often without being based on general principles or needing to fit into a larger theoretical framework. These hypotheses are typically introduced after an initial hypothesis has failed to account for certain anomalies or discrepancies in the data.
Ad hoc hypotheses can be seen as a way to salvage an existing theory by modifying it to accommodate new evidence. However, they can also be criticized for lacking predictive power or theoretical significance, as they may only serve to explain the particular anomaly without providing broader insights or applications.
In scientific discourse, a good hypothesis should be testable and able to make predictions that can be confirmed or disconfirmed by further experimentation or observation. Ad hoc hypotheses, on the other hand, may be seen as less rigorous, especially if they are formulated solely to account for data without contributing to a deeper understanding of the underlying phenomena.
Ad hoc hypotheses can be seen as a way to salvage an existing theory by modifying it to accommodate new evidence. However, they can also be criticized for lacking predictive power or theoretical significance, as they may only serve to explain the particular anomaly without providing broader insights or applications.
In scientific discourse, a good hypothesis should be testable and able to make predictions that can be confirmed or disconfirmed by further experimentation or observation. Ad hoc hypotheses, on the other hand, may be seen as less rigorous, especially if they are formulated solely to account for data without contributing to a deeper understanding of the underlying phenomena.