Problems, Purpose, Questions and Hypotheses

Question 1

What is a problem statement?

Answer 1

A problem statement is an expression of a dilemma or disturbing situation that needs to be investigated. The problem statement identifies the nature of the problem that is being addressed in the study, and usually its context and significance.

Question 2

What are three key things that the problem statement identifies?

Answer 2

The nature of the problem
Its context
Its significance

Question 3

What are four questions to ask when critiquing the problem and purpose?

Answer 3

Does the purpose narrow and clarify the focus of the problem to be studied?
Are the problem and purpose of the study clearly and concisely expressed?
Does the problem or purpose statement express a relationship between two or more variables?
Are the problem and purpose significant to generate nursing knowledge?

Question 4

What does the purpose statement accomplish?

Answer 4

Many researchers articulate their goals as broad statements of purpose. The purpose statement captures in a sentence or two, the essence of the study and establishes the general direction of inquiry

Question 5

What kind of words are used in the purpose statement?

Answer 5

The word “purpose, goal, aim, intent, or objective” appear in the purpose statement.
Explore; Explain; Describe; Predict

Question 6

What three components are included in a purpose statement?

Answer 6

Includes variables, population and setting (what, who & where)

Question 7

What is a researchable question? (3 qualifiers)

Answer 7

Helps solve a problem, add to theory, or improve nursing practice.
Needs to be usable, current, and clear.
Provides answers that will explain, describe, identify, predict, or qualify

Question 8

What are some guidelines for writing research questions? (three guidelines)

Answer 8

Start with a simple question
Has one stem and one topic
Action-oriented
The way you ask a question determines how you will answer it.

Question 9

What way should a research question be asked? (So that it determines a good answer)

Answer 9

Should be an open-ended question, not closed-ended. (Not a “yes” or “no” question)

Question 10

What are some types of hypotheses?

Answer 10

Causal vs. Associative
Simple vs. Complex
Non-directional vs. Directional
Null vs. Research

Question 11

What is an associative hypothesis? (example)

Answer 11

Associative – There is a relationship between amount of exercise and weight loss among dieting women.

Question 12

What is the difference between simple and complex hypotheses?

Answer 12

Simple = 2 variables.
Complex = more than 2 variables.

Question 13

What is an example of simple vs complex hypotheses?

Answer 13

Infants born to heroin-addicted mothers have lower birthweight than infants of non-addicted mothers.
Infants born to heroin-addicted mothers have lower birthweight, more neurologic complications, and higher mortality than infants of non-addicted mothers.

Question 14

What is the difference between a directional and non-directional hypothesis?

Answer 14

Directional includes a word like “less, more, higher, lower, positive negative” to indicate the direction of relationship between the variables. Non-directional does not.

Question 15

What is an example of non-directional vs directional hypothesis?

Answer 15

Incidence of decubitus ulcers is related to the frequency of turning patients. – non-directional
Patients turned at least every two hours have a lower incidence of decubitus ulcers than patients turned less frequently. - directional

Question 16

What is a null hypothesis?

Answer 16

Null hypothesis = there is no relationship. I accept or reject this based on my findings.

Question 17

What is an example of a research hypothesis compared to a null hypothesis?

Answer 17

There is no relationship between gender and knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers. – Null hypothesis
Teenage boys are better informed about STDs than teenage girls.

Question 18

What are some characteristics that a research hypothesis should have? (4 points)

Answer 18

Be written in the present tense
Not include statistical jargon (eg. “statistically significant” “controls”)
Allude to the target population to which the knowledge would apply
Be simple and concise

Question 19

What are variables?

Answer 19

Qualities, properties, or characteristics of persons, things, or situations that are manipulated or measured in research. - OPERATIONALIZED

Question 20

What are independent variables?

Answer 20

Variable that is believed to cause or influence the dependent variable; may or may not be manipulated by the researcher.

Question 21

What are some other names for independent variables?

Answer 21

Cause
Action
Intervention

Question 22

What are dependent variables?

Answer 22

Outcome variable, consequence

Question 23

What are some other names for dependent variables?

Answer 23

Effect, outcome, reaction, response

Question 24

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 24

varaibles influence relationships being studied.

Question 25

What is another name for extraneous variables?

Answer 25

Confounding variables.

Question 26

What are demographic variables?

Answer 26

describe the population (and may be confounding variables)

Question 27

What is a conceptual definition?

Answer 27

the abstract meaning of a variable that is usually based on theory.
Conceptualization of the variable is the abstract, theoretical meaning of the concept being studied

Question 28

What is an operational definition?

Answer 28

a way of defining the variable to make it measurable.

Operationalization of the variable is the means by which the researcher will collect information about the variable

Question 29

What are the three levels of abstraction?

Answer 29

Construct
Concept
Variable

Question 30

What are three questions one should ask when critiquing objectives/questions/hypotheses?

Answer 30

Are the objectives, questions, or hypotheses clearly expressed and linked to the research purpose and study framework?
Do they clearly identify the variables and population to be studied?
If hypotheses are stated, is the form of the statement statistical or research? Are the hypotheses testable?