Chapter #8 Flashcards
Concepts: Causality
There is a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables. The simplest view is one independent variable causing a change in one dependent variable. Independent variable (X) causes Y (a change in the dependent variable)
Concepts: Multi-causality
There is a cause-and-effect relationship between interrelating variables. There are multiple independent variables causing a change in the dependent variable.
Concepts: Probability
Probability addresses relative rather than absolute causality. Variations in variables occur. Researcher recognize that a particular cause probably will result in a specific effect.
Concepts: Bias
The slanting of findings away from the truth. Bias distorts the findings.
Research designs should be developed to reduce the likelihood of bias or to control for it.
Research Design
A research design is a blueprint or detailed plan for conducting a study. Purpose, review of literature, and framework provide the basis for the design.
Research Design
Descriptive
Exploration and description of phenomena in real-life situations, new meaning is discovered
Types of Research Design
Descriptive: Correlational
Looks at the relationship between two or more variables.
Types of Research Design
Descriptive: Quasi-experimental
Examines the cause-and-effect relationships.
Types of Research Design
Descriptive: Experimental
Controlled manipulation of at least one independent variable.
Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Design: Cross-sectional
Involves examining a group of subjects simultaneously in various stage of development, levels of education, severity of illness, or stages of recovery to describe change in a phenomenon across stage.
Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Design: Longitudinal
Involves collecting data from the same subjects at different points in time and might also be referred to as repeated measures.
Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Design: Example
A researcher administers a written test to evaluate knowledge of insulin administration and glucose monitoring to a group of subjects at annual intervals over the next decade.
Internal Validity
Internal validity is focused on determining if study findings are accurate.
Threats to Internal Validity?
- Participant selection
- Participant attrition
- History
- Maturation
External Validity
(Generalizability? Person, place, time) External validity is concerned with the extent to which study findings can be generalized beyond the sample used in the study.
Threats to external validity?
- Participant selection (people)
- Setting (place)
- History (time)
Experimental Group vs. Comparison Group:
The group who received the study intervention is the intervention group, or the experimental group.
The group that is not exposed to the intervention is the control group, or the comparison group.
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
To test effectiveness. The design uses large number of subjects to test a treatment’s effect and compare results with a control group who did not receive the treatment. The subjects come from a reference population. Randomization of subjects is essential. Usually, multiple geographic locations are used.
A research design is?
A blueprint for conducting a quantitative study that maximizes factors that could interfere with the validity of the findings.
Four common types of quantitative designs conducted in nursing include?
Descriptive, correlational, quasi-experimental.
The concepts important in understanding quantitative research designs include?
Causality, multicausality, probability, bias, prospective, retrospective, control and manipulation.
Elements central to the study design include?
The presence or absence of an intervention, method of sampling, number of groups in the sample, number and timing of measurements to be performed, time frame for data collection, planned comparisons, and control of extraneous variables.
Study validity is a measure of?
The truth or accuracy of the findings obtained from a study.
Four types of validity?
Construct, internal, external, and statistical conclusion
Descriptive and correlational designs, called non-experimental or non-interventional designs, focus on?
The description and examination of relationships among variables.
Cross-sectional design involves?
Examine a group of participants simultaneously in various stages of development, levels of educational, severity of illness, or stages or recovery to describe changes in phenomenon across stages.
Longitudinal design involves?
Collecting data from the same participants at different points in time and might also be referred to as repeated measures.
Correlational designs are what three different types?
Descriptive correlational, in which the searcher can seek to describe a relationship, predictive correlational, in which the researcher can predict relationships among variables, and model testing design, in which all the relationships proposed by a theory are tested simultaneously.
Interventions or treatments are implemented in quasi-experimental and experimental study to determine there?
Effect on selected dependent variables. Interventions may be physiological, psychosocial, educational, or a combination of these
The essential elements of experimental research are:
The random assignment of participants to groups, the researcher’s manipulation of the independent variable, the researchers control of the experimental situation and setting, including a control or comparison group.
Critically appraising a design involves?
The study setting, sample, intervention, measurement of variables, and data collection procedures.
RCT design is noted to be?
The strongest methodology for testing the effectiveness of an intervention because the elements of the design limit the potential for bias.
In order to understand quantitative research design, you have to look at?
- causality
- multicausality
- probability
- bias
- prospective
- retrospective
- control and manipulation
Elements that have to be present for a design:
- the presence or absence of an intervention
- method of sampling
- number of groups in the sample
- number and timing of measurements to be performed
- time frame for data collection
- planned comparisons
- control of extraneous
3 types of correlational designs:
- descriptive correlational, in which the searcher can seek to describe a relationship
- predictive correlational, in which the researcher can predict relationships among variables
- model testing design, in which all the relationships proposed by a theory are tested simultaneously.
The essential elements of experimental research are:
- the random assignment of participants to groups
- the researcher’s manipulation of the independent variable
- the researchers control of the experimental situation and setting, including a control or comparison group.
Critically appraising a design involves examining:
- the study setting
- sample
- intervention
- measurement of variables
- data collection procedures.
