👉 In the context of research or theory, "hypothesized" refers to a tentative or initial explanation for an observed phenomenon. It is not necessarily based on empirical evidence but rather on assumptions and theories that have been proposed before. For example, in the field of psychology, someone might propose that individuals with high levels of anxiety are more likely to experience repetitive behaviors such as checking social media often, which could be hypothesized as a possible explanation for this phenomenon. This is an initial hypothesis or tentative explanation