Chapter 2: Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Clinical Questions

The nurse researcher is writing a clinical question. What do elements of such a question include? (Select all that apply.) Population Intervention Outcome Evaluation

A, B, C "Population" is the first element of a clinical question. "Intervention" is the second element of a clinical question. "Outcome" is the third element of a clinical question. "Evaluation" is not considered one of the elements of a clinical question.

The nurse researcher is working with a clinical situation that does not lend itself to being resolved with a ready solution. Which is most appropriate for the nurse researcher to develop? Directional hypothesis Nondirectional hypothesis Research question Clinical question

D Clinical questions often arise from clinical situations for which there are no ready answers.

What is a characteristic of a hypothesis? A It flows from interpretation of the data collected. B It operationally defines the variable to be studied. C It eliminates the need to designate a dependent variable. D It implies a causative or associative relationship.

D A hypothesis implies a causative or associative relationship. A hypothesis guides the research design and collection of data. Operational definitions are not included in the hypothesis. The hypothesis indicates the dependent variable.

A research question can be converted into a declarative statement that predicts an expected outcome through the use of what? A Hypothesis B Variable C Theory D Operational definition

A A hypothesis converts a research question into a statement that predicts an outcome. A variable is a defined concept of concern in a study. A theory is a set of concepts that present a systematic view of phenomena. An operational definition is the measurement used to observe or measure a variable.

The nurse researcher is reviewing a study that has a research question formatted as "Is there a difference in the dependent variable between people who have the independent variable and those who do not have the independent variable?" How is this question formatted? A Correlational B Comparative C Experimental D Phenomenology

B The comparative research question formats the question as "Is there a difference in the dependent variable between people who have the independent variable and those who do not have the independent variable?"

What is a characteristic of a directional hypothesis? A. It specifies the expected relationship between dependent and independent variables. B. It describes causality of the dependent variable on the independent variable. C. It is one of several hypotheses arising from a complex research question. D. It is more objective and impartial than nondirectional hypotheses.

A A directional hypothesis predicts the nature of the relationship between variables. The dependent variable is acted on by the independent variable. Hypotheses arising from a complex research question may or may not be directional. Nondirectional hypotheses tend to be more objective and impartial because the researcher is not biased toward a particular outcome.

What is a characteristic of a statistical hypothesis? A. It is a null hypothesis. B. It predicts a positive relationship among variables. C. It is a complex hypothesis. D. It describes data-analysis methods.

A Statistical hypotheses, called null hypotheses, state that there is no relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Statistical hypotheses are no more complex than other types of hypotheses. Hypotheses do not describe data-analysis methods.

Which statement is most accurate regarding hypotheses? A. Hypotheses operationally define the dependent variables. B. Hypotheses are statements about the relationships among variables. C. Hypotheses describe the effect of the dependent variable on the independent variable. D. Hypotheses are formulated after the study is conducted.

B Hypotheses are statements about the relationships between two or more variables that suggest an answer to the research question. Hypotheses are not concerned with operationally defining the variables involved in the study. The independent variable is not affected or changed by the dependent variable.

During the research process, a hypothesis should be developed by the researcher at what point? A. Before development of the research question B. After development of the research question C. After a research design is determined D. Before any statistical analysis

B The hypothesis must be developed after the research question is developed. The hypothesis must be developed before the research design is determined. The hypothesis must be developed much earlier in the process than before statistical analysis.

A nurse wants to study the effectiveness of meditation for people with anxiety disorder. Which variable would be most relevant to explore in the literature on the topic? A. Use of meditation during childbirth B. Meditation techniques found to be effective C. Pain management for people with various disorders D. Outcomes of meditation when used by elderly populations

B To design this study, the nurse should know meditation techniques found to be effective. Use of meditation during childbirth is irrelevant to this study. Although pain management would probably be a confounding variable, "pain management for people with anxiety disorders" is not the best answer. Unless the study population consists of elderly individuals, outcomes of meditation when used by elderly populations would not be relevant.

Which research hypothesis as written is most testable? A. There is a relationship between meditation and anxiety disorders. B. Patients with anxiety disorders who learn meditation techniques have less anxiety than those who do not. C. Teaching one meditation technique to patients with anxiety disorders will be better than teaching multiple techniques. D. The ability to meditate causes lower anxiety in patients with anxiety disorder than those who do not meditate.

D "The ability to meditate causes lower anxiety in patients with anxiety disorder than those who do not meditate" is a hypothesis that meets the criteria of testability. "There is a relationship between meditation and anxiety disorders" is not a predictive statement about the relationships between the variables. The "meditation techniques" variable must be specifically defined so that it is observable or measurable. "Better than" is a value-laden phrase that is not objective.

The nurse researcher is participating in a quasi-experimental study. Which level is characteristic of the strength of the evidence provided in regard to the results of such a study? A. Level I B. Level II C. Level III D. Level IV

C Evidence provided by quasi-experimental studies is level III. Level I evidence is obtained from a systematic review of all randomized, controlled trials. Level II evidence is obtained from at least one well-designed randomized, controlled trial. Level IV evidence is obtained from nonexperimental studies.

Which hypothesis is indicative of an experimental research design? (Select all that apply.) Frequent irrigation of Foley catheters will be positively related to urinary tract infections. The incidence of urinary tract infections will be greater in patients whose Foley catheters are irrigated frequently than in those whose Foley catheters are irrigated less frequently. Frequent irrigation of Foley catheters is associated with urinary tract infections. The incidence of urinary tract infections will not differ between patients with or without Foley catheters.

B, D These hypotheses reflect associative relationship statements and are not experimental.

The nurse researcher is reviewing a clinical question and identifies the group of patients with a particular health care problem that is being studied. This area of the clinical question is the: population intervention comparison outcome

A The population is the individual patient or group of patients with a particular condition or health care problem.

The nurse develops the following hypothesis: Elderly women receive less aggressive treatment for breast cancer than do younger women. Which variable would be considered the dependent variable? A Degree of treatment received B Age of the patient C Type of cancer being treated D Use of inpatient treatment

A The degree of treatment received is considered the dependent variable. The age of the patient would be the independent variable. The type of cancer being treated would be an extraneous variable in this case. The use of inpatient treatment would be an extraneous variable in this case.

Which criteria are used to determine testability of a hypothesis? (Select all that apply.) A Use of quantifiable words such as greater than or less than B A hypothesis stated in such a way that it can be clearly supported or not supported C The use of value-laden words in a hypothesis D Data collection efforts that prove the validity of the hypothesis

A, B Quantifiable words increase the testability of a hypothesis. The more clearly the hypothesis is stated, the easier it will be to accept or reject it on the basis of study findings. Hypotheses should not have value-laden words. Data collection processes are not part of the criterion used to evaluate the testability of hypotheses.

The nurse participating in a research project recognizes which factors are advantages to using directional hypotheses? (Select all that apply.) The indication of the use of a theory base to derive the hypothesis The provision of a specific theoretical frame of reference Assurance that findings will be generalizable The indication of a nonbiased selection of subjects

A, B The use of a theoretical framework to derive a hypothesis adds to an existing body of knowledge and lets the reader know that the phenomena under investigation have been critically considered. The use of a theoretical framework to derive a hypothesis lets the reader know that the phenomena under investigation have been critically evaluated. It is the selection of subjects that makes study findings generalizable, not the type of hypothesis used. The type of hypothesis used does not ensure a nonbiased selection of subjects.

The nurse researcher notes that the hypothesis for a research study states that there is no relationship between the dependent and independent variables. This is most commonly known as (Select all that apply.) Statistical hypothesis Directional hypothesis Null hypothesis Nondirectional hypothesis

A, C A statistical hypothesis, also known as a null hypothesis, states that there is no relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Which criteria are used to judge the soundness of a stated research question? (Select all that apply.) A. A relationship between two or more variables B. An operational definition of each variable C. The nature of the population being tested D. The possibility of empirical testing

A, C, D The research question must seek to discover a relationship between two or more variables. The research question must include the nature of the population being tested. The research question must include the possibility of empirical testing. Operational definitions are not included in the research question.

The nurse researcher is reviewing a clinical question and identifies an aspect of health care that is of interest to the nurse. The clinical question is under which component? A Population B Intervention C Comparison D Outcome

B The intervention is the particular aspect of health care that is of interest to the nurse.

The nurse researcher writes the research question, "What was it like to be diagnosed with breast cancer?" This is considered to be which type of research question? A. Comparative quantitative B. Grounded theory qualitative C. Correlational quantitative D. Experimental quantitative

B This research question is formatted according to the grounded theory qualitative format. This research question does not have a relationship between a dependent and an independent variable that would be characteristic of a comparative quantitative research question. This research question does not have a relationship between a dependent and an independent variable that would be characteristic of a correlational quantitative research question. This research question does not have a relationship between a dependent and an independent variable that would be characteristic of an experimental quantitative research question.

Which statement about hypotheses is most accurate? A. Hypotheses represent the main idea to be studied and are the foundations of research studies. B. Hypotheses help frame a test of the validity of a theory. C. Hypotheses provide the means to test nursing theory. D. A hypothesis can also be called a problem statement.

B Although theories cannot be tested directly, hypotheses provide a bridge between theory and the real world. It is the research question that represents the main idea to be studied. Theories cannot be tested directly. The research question is also called the problem statement.

When should the nurse researcher reject the null hypothesis? A. When there is no association among variables B. When there is evidence of significance C. When the independent and dependent variables are related D. When the research hypothesis is rejected

C Because the null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the independent and dependent variables, it is rejected if they are related. The null hypothesis is accepted if there is no association among variables. The null hypothesis is accepted if there are significant differences in outcomes. If a study has both a research hypothesis and a null hypothesis, the null hypothesis is rejected when the research hypothesis is accepted.

Which is a characteristic of an independent variable? A. It is the variable that is predicted to change. B. It varies with a change in the dependent variable. C. It is manipulated by the researcher. D. The dependent variable implies the causal relationship.

C The independent variable is manipulated by the researcher and has a presumed effect on the dependent variable. It is the dependent variable that is predicted to change. The independent variable is manipulated by the researcher and is identified at the beginning of the study.

What is the purpose of including a summary of the theoretical and scientific background of a study in a research report? A. To operationalize the variables used in the study B. To differentiate the purpose of the study and the research question C. To inform the reader about how the research question was developed D. To allow the reader to determine the testability of the hypothesis

C The research question should flow from the theoretical and scientific background. The variables are not operationalized in the theoretical or scientific background of the study. The purpose of the study and research questions should flow from the theoretical and scientific background of the study. The testability of the hypothesis cannot be determined by the theoretical and scientific background of the study.