ARA Info Flashcards
What is a hypothesis?
The researcher proposes an educated “guess” about the outcomes of the study – this “guess” is presented as a statement called the hypothesis. The hypothesis is a declarative statement that predicts the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables, specifying the population that will be studied
Simply a statement of the relationship between variables
The purpose of a study is…
to TEST the hypothesis and ultimately to provide evidence so that the researcher can accept or reject the hypothesis
What is a null hypothesis?
The null hypothesis is “simply a statement of no difference or no relationship between the variables in the study”
The proposition that implies no effect or no relationship between phenomena or populations. Any observed difference would be due to sampling error (random chance) or experimental error. It may be easier to think of it as anullifiablehypothesis or one the researcher seeks to nullify.
What is experimental research?
Experimental research compares two or more conditions to determine a cause and relationship and allows the researcher to draw conclusions about observed differences
- RCT
What is descriptive resesarch?
Descriptive research simply describes populations
Descriptive research is “designed to document the factors that describe characteristics, behaviors and conditions of individuals and groups”
Descriptive research:
- Serves to explore an observation
- Leads to greater understanding of a problem or phenomena
To be considered a basic experimental design the design must include these characteristics:
One sample
One independent variable (IV)
Participants must be randomly assigned to groups
IV must be administered as planned
Confounding variables are minimized & variables are controlled by the researcher
One dependent variable (DV) on which all subjects are measured
The hypothesis is attempting to show a cause & effect relationship between the IV and the DV
What is a construct?
A construct is an abstract idea, theme, or subject matter that a researcher wants to measure. Because it is initially abstract, it must be defined.
Ex: : The researcher would like to determine if “XYZ technique” is effective in increasing shoulder AROM in patients with a total shoulder replacement.
The study sample includes…
the people who are the subjects in the research study
Describe the study sample.
The chosen sample should be a “subset” of the population you are studying. The subset should be a representative sample (target sample) of the population.
Population is a set of people who share common features, i.e., age, diagnosis, etc…
The sample being studied should be representative of the population from which they were selected.
What is inclusion criteria?
The primary traits of the target population (representative population)
- Age
- Gender
- Sex
- Geographic location, etc.
What is exclusion criteria?
Factors that would preclude someone from being a subject in the study
The factors that generally are considered confounding to the results (that is they are likely to interfere with interpretation of the findings)
What are dependent variables?
Dependent variable (DV) – This variable is the response or outcome related to the effect of the IV.
The dependent variable can be described as the behavior that may change.
Also known as an outcome variable.
The dependent variable is the possible effect.
What is an independent variable?
Independent Variable (IV) – A variable that will predict or cause an outcome
Also known as the active or predictor variable
The IV is the possible cause
A condition, intervention, or characteristic that will predict or cause a given outcome
The IV can be described as a condition that can change behavior
What are outcome measures?
It is the tool, assessment, or instrument used to test and see if the dependent variable was affected or changed by the independent variable
When selecting an outcome measure to assess the dependent variable, we must choose one that is responsive, or sensitive, to change. Otherwise, we will not learn anything from the research because changes will not be detected.
In selecting an outcome measure for a study, the researcher has to be especially concerned about its responsiveness.
What are the scales of measurement?
Nominal Scales
Ordinal Scales
Interval Scales
Ratio Scales
What is a nominal scale?
A nominal scale is used to categorize characteristics of subjects.
Ex: Gender would be assigned to a category by a number. Females may be categorized as “1” and males as “2”
This type of scale has no other function other than to classify or categorize subjects.
Gender, ethnicity/race, religion, diagnosis
