24.9 Research questions and hypotheses Flashcards
Research Question
Most of the time includes 2 or more variables
Stated in question form
Implies possibilities for empirical testing
Hypothesis
- A proposition that is to be, and can be, tested by research. (Bauman)
- An expected but unconfirmed relationship between two or more variables (S & S)
Research Question ex
- Are social network characteristics related to drug use among runaway youth?
- Do neighborhood characteristics influence physical exercise among senior citizens?
- How does social support influence depression among the elderly?
Types of Hypotheses
- If - then conditional statements
- Mathematical statements
- Continuous statements
- Difference statements (practice this kind of hypothesis)
Types of Hypotheses EX:If - then conditional statements
If a person has worse health then he or she will be more likely to get a flu shot.
Types of Hypotheses EX:Mathematical statements
Probability of Adolescent smoking = (Parent smoking + 0.9age)/100
Types of Hypotheses EX:Continuous statements
The worse the health, the greater the probability of having a flu shot.
Types of Hypotheses EX:Difference statements (practice this kind of hypothesis)
People with worse health are more likely to get a flu shot than people with better health.
What’s Wrong?
- Diet can be protective against cardiovascular disease?
- Social support is associated with depression.
- Young Chinese women are less likely to use contraceptives.
Null Hypothesis
Hypotheses may be stated as null hypotheses. The assumption with a null hypothesis is that there is no relationship between two variables.
Null Hypothesis EX
There is no relationship between academic achievement and adolescent cigarette smoking.
A Hypothesis Is NOT a Value Statement EX
Value Statements:
- Women who do not receive prenatal care are irresponsible.
- Cigarette smoking is wrong.
A Hypothesis Is NOT a Value Statement EX 1
- Women who do not receive prenatal care have lower birth weight babies than women who do receive prenatal care.
- Smokers are more likely to have respiratory disease than nonsmokers.
Hypotheses Involving a Third Variable: Modifying Variable
The relationship between social isolation and aggression varies by gender, such that males who are social isolates are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior than are female social isolates.
Hypotheses Involving a Third Variable: Modifying Variable
Social Isolation ->Aggression
Gender:Modifying Variable
Third Variable:Intervening Variable
Parent smoking -> cigarettes at home -> adolescent smoking
-Hypotheses:
Adolescents with smoking parents are more likely to access to cigarettes and , in turn, are more likely to smoke.
Formulating a Research Study
Research Area->
Research Question-> Hypotheses->
Variables
Formulating a Research Study Example
Research Area:HIV risk in homeless and runaway youth (HRY)
Research Question: Is day-to-day homelessness experience related to engaging in risky sexual behavior?
Hypotheses: Compared to adolescents who have shorter duration of homelessness, adolescents who have longer during of homelessness are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior
Variables:
+Day-to-day homelessness experience: Duration of homelessness
+Risky sexual behavior: Condom use
Definitions of Theory
- One or more general and logically interrelated propositions offered to explain a class of phenomena.(Bauman, 1980)
- A systematic explanation for the observed facts and laws that relate to a particular aspect of life. (Babbie, 1989)
- Knowledge writ large in the form of generalized abstractions applicable to a wide range of experiences. (McGuire, 1983)
Some Commonly Used Theories in Health Behavior and Health Education
- Health Belief Model
- Stages of Change/Transtheoretical Model
- Social Control Theory
- Social Cognitive/Social Learning Theory
- Diffusion of Innovations Theory
Application of Theory to Health Problem
- Helps identify and describe factors influencing a behavior (e.g., smoking) or situation (e.g., health disparities)
- Helps identify WHY a problem exists
- Helps direct the research strategy (what is studied)
- Helps in setting intervention goals and objectives (what to achieve)
Adding Practice to the Theory/Research Continuum
Theory Research Practice Theory
Social Control Theory
Assumption: individuals are constrained from committing deviant behaviors by their social bonds to conventional aspects of society
- Attachment
- Commitment
- Belief
Hypotheses informed by Social Control Theory
Family violence -> social bonding -> violent behaviors
-Hypothesis 1:
Social bonding-defined as parental attachment, belief in the conventional rules of society, and commitment to conventional activities-will be weaker among adolescents exposed to family violence than among those not exposed to family violence
-Hypothesis 2:
Social bonding will be negatively related to adolescent violent behaviors
-Hypothesis 3:
Social bonding will be mediate the relationship between exposure to family violence and adolescent violent behaviors
Conceptual Model
-Definition: A diagram of proposed causal linkages among a set of concepts believed to be related to a specific public health problem.
-Purpose: To lay out a visual representation of a research problem so as to:
+guide a research study
+guide the development of an intervention
How Do Conceptual Models differ from Theory?
- Conceptual models draw on both theories and empirical findings
- A conceptual model is the visual representation of the set of relationships and associated hypotheses
- Conceptual models provide specific rather than general explanations for a behavior or situation
Conceptual Models Follow Conventions for Depicting Relationships
- Boxes and arrows
- Standard forms for depicting relationships among 3 variables (intervening, moderator, confounder, antecedent)
- Read left to right or top to bottom
- Use variable names not selected values
- Only variables that will be measured are included
- All relationships between variables are shown
Questions to Ask When Building a Conceptual Model
- What is the outcome of interest?
- What are the determinants of this outcome?
- What to include? What to exclude?
- How are these determinants related to each other and to the outcome?
- Does the model ‘hang together’? Is it conceptually coherent? Will it help guide my research?
