Reported is a study of the relationship of independent study, object visualization, and anxiety to hypothesis formation by college freshmen in the biological sciences. The participants of the study were 108 undergraduate females who had no previous science instruction and who were enrolled in introductory biology classes. The subjects, randomly assigned to sections, were given an hypothesis formation test at one of the following times: after a 6-week regular lab program; prior to any college science instruction; after one, two, three, or four units of independent study. Eight hypotheses, considering the correlation between the various aspects of hypothesis formation and the learner variables of anxiety and object visualization, were tested. Seven hypotheses, considering the difference of mean scores on an hypothesis formation test after the various treatments, were also tested. The statistical analysis showed that hypothesis formation was increased as time of independent study was increased. Anxiety level was correlated with a student's ability to visualize objects in the third dimension but not with the type of hypothesis formed. Precision in hypotheses formation seemed to have a direct relationship with numbers and types of hypotheses formed. (Author/EB)