Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is a research problem?
An area of concern in which there is a gap in the knowledge needed for nursing practice
What is a research purpose?
Clear, concise, statement of the specific goal or focus of a study
Example of a research problem
“Yet, the few available studies on providing instruction for family caregivers are limited in content and lack guidance for implementing HF self-management strategies at home.”
Example of a research purpose
“The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and evaluate the helpfulness and costs of a coaching program for family caregiver HF home care management.”
Feasibility of a study is determined by?
Examining the researchers’ expertise; money commitment; availability of subjects, facilities, and equipment and the study’s ethical considerations
IRB
Institutional Review Board
Hypothesis
Translates the research problem and purpose into a clear explanation or prediction of the expected results or outcomes
Hypothesis includes
The variables to be manipulated or measured, identifies the population to be examined, and indicates the proposed outcomes of the study
Associative hypothesis
Proposes relationships among variables that occur or exist together so when one variable changes, so does the other
Casual hypothesis
Proposes a cause and effect interaction between two or more variables; independent and dependent variables
Associative hypothesis example
Higher levels of patient safety climate would be associated with less frequent nurse-reported adverse events and higher patient satisfaction
Casual hypothesis example
“It was hypothesized that playing a violent video game will lead to higher levels of aggression than watching a violent video game or playing a non-violent video game”
Simple hypothesis
States the relationship (associative or casual) between two variables
Complex hypothesis
States the relationships (associative or casual) among three or more variables
Non-directional hypothesis
States that a relationship exists but does not predict the nature (positive or negative) of the relationship
Example of non-directional hypothesis
“Hours playing video games is related to body mass index in school-age children”
Directional hypothesis
States the nature (positive or negative) of the interaction between two or more variables
- the use of terms; positive, negative, increase, decrease…etc
Directional hypothesis example
“that higher levels of PSC would be associated with less frequent nurse-reported adverse events and higher patient satisfaction.”
Statistical hypothesis or null hypothesis (H0)
Is used for statistical testing and for interpreting statistical outcomes or when there is no relationship between two variables and when theoretical or empirical information is inadequate
Statistical hypothesis example
“The hypothesis stated there would be no significant difference in the duration of patency of 24 G IV lock in a neonatal patient when flushed with 0.5 mL of heparinized saline (2 U/mL), our standard practice, compared with 0.5 mL of 0.9% normal saline.”
Research hypothesis (H1 or H^)
Is the alternative hypothesis to the null or statistical hypothesis and stated that a relationship exists between two or more variables. All the hypothesis stated earlier have been research hypothesis
Independent variable
Is an intervention that is manipulated or varied by the researcher to create an effect on the dependent variable
Dependent variable
The outcome that the researcher wants to predict or explain
Conceptual definition
Provides the theoretical meaning of a variable
