An overview of Research & Common Terms Flashcards
Inductive Reasoning
Makes broad generalizations from specific observations
Deductive Reasoning
Starts out with a general statement, or hypothesis, and examines the possibilities to reach a specific, logical conclusion
Hypothesis
a written, declarative statement in the present tense of a prediction of the relationship between two or more variables. Used in quantitative research (not in qualitative)
Null Hypothesis
Predicts there is no relationship between the variables stated in the hypothesis. Not acknowledging a null hypothesis threatens overall study validity. Careful sample selection using power analysis can help prevent these errors.
Type I Errors
When the null hypothesis is rejected when it should not be. This is of more concern to researchers than type II errors
Type II Errors
When the null hypothesis is not rejected when it should be since a relationship between the studied variable does exist.
Quantitative Research
Grounded upon the scientific method of theory testing and focuses on more
objective evidence.
* focused on determining the cause and effect of a phenomenon, as researchers believe that events
are not random but can be linked to a specific cause
* research is tightly controlled throughout
* uses numbers and statistics to produce evidence
* the people being studied are referred to as “subjects”
* relies on unbiased observation and reliable/valid measurement of variables
Independent and Dependent variables
cause and effect, the hypothesis
Independent variables
treatment, intervention, or the experimental variable
Dependent variables
outcome, the ruling out of extraneous effects
Extraneous variable
Unplanned effect (cause) on an outcome in a research study
Hawthorne effect
an example of an extraneous variable: refers to the
the psychological effect when study subjects change their behavior from how
they would normally behave because they know they are being
watched/observed
Methods for survey research
interviews and questionnaires. May address knowledge, beliefs,
perceptions, attitudes, feelings, experiences, behaviors, etc. Questions should be clear, simple,
ordered from general to specific.
Questionnaire
can be written (paper) or electronic (online or computer generated)
o Pros: inexpensive, fast, easy to analyze, allow for anonymity,
o Cons: low response rates, does not allow for clarification
Attitude scales
Likert scale and Semantic Differential scale are structured, self report measures to learn more about the attitudes of the subjects
Likert Scale
attitude statements of usually 5 to 7 points, ranging from
Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. Scores of all questions are summed to
obtain one total score.
Semantic Differential Scale
Not as commonly used as the Likert scale. Pairs
of 2 opposite adjectives are placed on lines with a 7-point scale between
them. Subjects mark the point that best represents their attitude.
Quantitative Research Designs
Descriptive and Correlational (do not involve intervention on the part of the researcher)
Descriptive studies
Describe characteristics of a topic Ie: individuals, groups, situations and/or frequency of occurrence of certain phenomena
Correlational studies
Examine relationships between variables or between subjects and the strength and direction of the relationship
Do Quasi-experimental involve a researcher intervention?
Yes
Quasi-experimental studies
Examine causality but there is NO random assignment and/or control group
Experimental studies
Examine causality and DO have random assignment of subjects, with both an experimental and a control group
Clinical Trials
Research studies, experimental in design, which assess the effects of specific new or revised clinical interventions.
Examples include clinical treatments, medical equipment use on clients, medications. In these studies, safety and efficacy of the intervention(s) are studied.
RCT (randomized controlled trials)
Viewed as the gold standard for evidence-based practice decisions
Cross sectional studies
Look at one phenomenon at one point in time and across multiple separate populations that differ in a clear characteristic such as age, developmental status, etc. Allows for a picture of a phenomenon as it exists in the present.
no follow up intented
Advantage: They are relatively economical, easy to design and implement, quick to conduct and obtain results
Disadvantage: Do not capture changes that occur over time
Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study
Follow subjects over a period of time in the future. Data is collected at two or more different points in time.
Prospective Study
The study of interest is identified in the present and subjects are followed for a given time frame in the future