Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Clinical Questions

Question 1

The difference between a research question and a hypothesis is:
a. a research question is practice based, and a hypothesis is theory based.
b. a hypothesis attempts to answer the question posed by the research problem.
c. a research problem defines clinical research and a hypothesis defines basic
research.
d. there is no difference between a research problem and a hypothesis.

Answer 1

ANS: B

Question 2

How is a hypothesis related to a theory?
a. Hypotheses can be developed in the absence of a theoretical framework.
b. Hypotheses must be consistent with an existing theoretical framework.
c. A theory can determine the validity of a hypothesis.
d. A theory can be used to evaluate the merit of a hypothesis

Answer 2

ANS: B

B. A sound hypothesis is consistent with an existing body of theory and research
findings.

Question 3

A nurse makes these statements. Which one has the greatest potential as an area of nursing
research?
a. “Most of our hospital’s admissions come in at night.”
b. “It is difficult to find personnel willing to work the nightshift.”
c. “It seems that most of the patient falls on our unit occur during the nightshift.”
d. “The personnel on the nightshift are not attending promptly to the needs of our
patients.”

Answer 3

ANS: C

C. This statement identifies a specific, important patient problem. Its exploration
has potential to contribute to the body of nursing knowledge

Question 4

The nurse has identified a clinical problem as a potential research question. The next step
should be:
a. identify the variables.
b. formulate the research hypothesis.
c. perform a literature review.
d. determine financial resources for the research project

Answer 4

ANS: C

C. The literature review helps to further define the research question by identifying
gaps in the literature, the need for replication of prior research, or the need to
extend the knowledge base in a particular research area. It also identifies
variables essential to consider in refining the research question

Question 5

In a research study, properties of interest that differ in value are:
a. variables.
b. concepts.
c. hypotheses.
d. assumptions

Answer 5

ANS: A

A. This is the widely accepted and often-cited definition of variables

Question 6

A nurse researcher proposes a study of teenage mothers and their experience with postpartum
depression. Considerations that would affect the feasibility of the study would be:
a. availability of participants.
b. direction of the hypotheses.
c. gaps in the literature.
d. design of the study.

Answer 6

ANS: A
A. A study’s feasibility is determined by practical considerations, such as
availability of subjects, equipment, facilities, and money

Question 7

The most significant difference between independent and dependent variables is:
a. the dependent variable should change in response to manipulation by the
independent variable.
b. the independent variable should change in response to manipulation by the
dependent variable.
c. although both the dependent and independent variables are manipulated, only the
dependent variable is considered an intervention.
d. although both the dependent and independent variables are manipulated, only the
independent variable is considered an intervention.

Answer 7

ANS: A

A. Dependent variables change in response to manipulation of independent
variables in experimental research.

Question 8

When designing a research study, the nurse should recognize regarding independent and
dependent variables
a. All research problem statements should contain a dependent and an independent
variable.
b. There should only be one dependent variable associated with a single independent
variable.
c. The relationship between the independent and the dependent variable in any study
should be causal.
d. A given characteristic or situation may be the dependent variable in one study and
the independent variable in another.

Answer 8

ANS: D

D. Depending on the particular study, a specific variable may be the dependent or
the independent variable. The causal or associative direction between variables
determines the classification of the variables as independent or dependent

Question 9

A nurse’s research question is, “How does maternal employment among health care
professionals affect infant health during the first 6 months of life?” In this question, the
dependent variable is:
a. infant health.
b. maternal employment.
c. first 6 months of life.
d. health care professionals

Answer 9

ANS: A

A. Infant health is the consequence or presumed effect that changes regarding
maternal employment. Thus it is the dependent variable.

Question 10

A nurse has defined the research question as, “How does oral nutritional supplementation
during dialysis treatments affect the serum albumin levels of adult patients who have chronic
kidney disease Stage 5?” In this question, the independent variable is:
a. adult patients with chronic kidney disease Stage 5.
b. oral nutritional supplementation.
c. during dialysis treatments.
d. serum albumin levels.

Answer 10

ANS: B

B. Oral nutritional supplementation is the intervention administered to effect a
change in the patients’ serum albumin levels. Thus oral nutritional
supplementation is the independent variable.

Question 11

A nurse has defined the research question as, “Is there a relationship between self-esteem and
body weight among postmenopausal women?” What type of research-question format (or
research design) is implied by this question?
a. Correlational non-experimental
b. Comparative non-experimental
c. Quantitative experimental
d. Phenomenological non-experimental

Answer 11

ANS: A

A. Self-esteem and body weight are variables that are related in an associative way.
The word relationship strongly suggests correlational design studies.

Question 12

A nurse has defined the research question as, “What is the lived experience of late-stage
pregnancy loss among women older than 35 years?” What type of research-question format
(or research design) is implied by this question?
a. Correlational non-experimental
b. Comparative non-experimental
c. Quantitative experimental
d. Phenomenological non-experimental

Answer 12

ANS: D

D. The question concerns “lived experience,” which implies a grounded-theory study design

Question 13

Which research question is testable as currently written?
a. Should parents addicted to crack cocaine be permitted to raise their children?
b. Is the classroom an appropriate place to teach sex education to 10-year-old
children?
c. Are older adults living in assisted-living facilities satisfied with their level of social
interaction?
d. Is a positive HIV/AIDS status a sufficient reason for limiting the employment of
elementary school teachers?

Answer 13

ANS: C

C. This example implies variables that can be measured and suggests a comparative
non-experimental design study. The independent variable is residing in
assisted-living facilities, as compared with not residing in assisted-living facilities. The dependent variable is social interaction.

Question 14

What is the purpose of a hypothesis for any study?
a. To identify the dependent and independent variables
b. To provide direction for the study by indicating the expected outcomes
c. To define the appropriate measures needed to test the research problem
d. To provide a means of determining the feasibility of the proposed study

Answer 14

ANS: B

B. A hypothesis is a declarative statement about two or more variables that predicts
an expected outcome.

Question 15

Which hypothesis fails to meet the criteria of testability?
a. Proper handwashing prevents the spread of infection.
b. Consistent practice of low-impact aerobic exercise will increase coordination
among older adults.
c. Patients who used guided imagery during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
procedures will have reduced perceptions of emotional distress compared with
patients who do not use guided imagery during MRI.
d. Postoperative patients who receive around-the-clock scheduled analgesics will
have lower levels of pain compared with postoperative patients who receive
analgesics on an as-needed (PRN) schedule.

Answer 15

ANS: A

A. This statement does not suggest that there is a predicted outcome as specifically
as the other examples. The term proper is value laden and nonspecific. Both
proper handwashing and spread of infection require more specific definition.

Question 16

Which hypothesis is non-directional?
a. Hospitals with an infection-control nurse will have fewer instances of sepsis
among inpatients than hospitals without an infection-control nurse.
b. There will be a greater weight loss among dieting patients who receive a weekly
supportive telephone call from a dietitian than among dieting patients who do not
receive a weekly supportive phone call.
c. There will be a difference in stage of disease for prostate cancer among men who
had an abnormal prostate-specific antigen screening compared with men who had
an abnormal digital rectal examination screening.
d. Children who receive weekly counseling for 1 year after the death of a parent will
perform better in school than children who do not receive weekly counseling after
the death of a parent

Answer 16

ANS: C

C. This hypothesis has no expected direction. It suggests a difference but does not
indicate the direction of the difference.

Question 17

The nurse has defined the hypothesis as, “There will be no difference in the number of
adverse events among patients discharged 2 days after an abdominal hysterectomy compared
with patients discharged 4 days after an abdominal hysterectomy.” This statement is an
example of what?
a. Directional hypothesis
b. Non-directional hypothesis
c. Research hypothesis
d. Null hypothesis

Answer 17

ANS: D

D. This is a null (or statistical) hypothesis, stating that there is no relationship
between the independent (postoperative days) and dependent (adverse events)
variables. If in the statistical analysis a significant relationship is found, the null
hypothesis would be rejected.

Question 18

The nurse notes these statements in a research article:
This study explores changes in coping and emotion that occur between the preoperative and
the postoperative period. Further, the relationships between coping and emotion
preoperatively and postoperatively are evaluated. Finally, the influence of preoperative coping
and emotion on postoperative emotion is documented.
This section represents which part of a research study?
a. Results
b. Methods
c. Purpose
d. Hypothesis

Answer 18

ANS: C

The statements describe the aims or goals that the investigator hoped to achieve
with the research and thus reflect the purpose of the study.

Question 19

A nurse states the purpose of a research study as, “This study will compare the effect of warm
and cold applications on the resolution of intravenous (IV) infiltrations in hospitalized
older-adult patients in the early postoperative period.” In this statement, what constitutes the
independent variable(s)?
a. Postoperative older adult patients
b. Early postoperative period
c. Warm and cold applications
d. Resolution of IV infiltrations

Answer 19

ANS: C

C. Warm and cold applications represent the independent variables, which will be
manipulated and influence the dependent (outcome) variable resolution of IV
infiltrations.

Question 20

A nurse describes the hypothesis of a research study as, “There is a positive relationship
between nurses’ attitudes toward AIDS patients and the number of AIDS patients they have
cared for in practice.” This statement is an example of:
a. null hypothesis.
b. non-directional hypothesis.
c. directional hypothesis.
d. causal hypothesis.

Answer 20

ANS: C

C. Because a positive relationship is specified, the hypothesis is directional.

Question 21

The nurse has identified a patient situation that may be an area for study. The initial review of
the literature helps the investigator to identify what?
a. The number of subjects required for the study
b. The appropriate statistical tests to analyze the data
c. The need to extend knowledge in a particular area
d. The instruments needed to collect data during the study

Answer 21

ANS: C

C. The initial literature review helps further define the research question by
identifying gaps in the literature, the need for replication of prior research, or the
need to extend the knowledge base in a particular research area. It also identifies
variables essential to consider in refining the research question

Question 22

Which hypothesis would be classified as a statistical hypothesis?
a. Oxygen inhalation at 2 L/min by nasal catheter will decrease oral temperature
measured with an electronic thermometer.
b. Oxygen inhalation at 2 L/min by nasal catheter will not affect oral temperature measured with an electronic thermometer.
c. There will be a greater decrease in anxiety scores in patients receiving
informational videos before open heart surgery than in patients who receive
standard written information.
d. There will be a difference in anxiety scores in patients receiving informational
videos before open heart surgery and patients who receive standard written
information.

Answer 22

ANS: B

B. A statistical (or null) hypothesis indicates no relationship between variables, as
represented in this statement. If in the statistical analysis, a significant
relationship is found, the null hypothesis would be rejected.

Question 23

Which of these statements is correctly phrased as a clinical question for evidence-based
practice?
a. What is the best method to insert an enteral feeding tube in an adult patient?
b. Are there differences in the characteristics of various brands of enteral feeding
tubes?
c. In addition to aspiration, what are the most problematic complications of enteral
tube feedings?
d. What method of determining stomach placement of enteral feeding tubes helps to
prevent aspiration in adult patients?

Answer 23

ANS: D

D. This statement is worded as a clinical question and includes the four PICO
elements: population (adult patients), intervention (methods of determining
stomach placement), comparison (among methods), and outcome (prevent
aspiration).