Answer:Gerald is basing his further studies on hypothesis.
Explanation:
What is a hypothesis?
Is an uncertain statement or non definite statement about a relationship that may exist between two variables or more variable which stand to be tested and be proven.
This statement defines what a researcher expect to be the outcome of a test to be made
For example, a study above to examine that they may be other factors contributing to smoking other that the assumed peer pressure .
the test will be expected to show those other factors after the research is done or not show them if they dont exist.