Nursing Research Exam

Which one of the following statements 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.

Which level is characteristic of the strength of the evidence provided by the

results of a quasi-experimental study?

A. Level I

B. Level II

C. Level III

D. Level IV

What 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. It can be identified only by changes in the dependent variable.

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 must include a definition of the treatment or intervention used.

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.

When should a hypothesis be developed by the researcher during the research

process?

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

Which research hypothesis 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.

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

When will a null hypothesis be rejected?

A. There is no association among variables.

B. There is evidence of significance.

C. The independent and dependent variables are related.

D. The research hypothesis is rejected.

A researcher wants to discover why patients of certain ethnic backgrounds are

reluctant to ask for pain medication. Because there are little data in the
literature on this topic, the researcher designs a study to explore the
relationships between cultural belief systems, the experience of pain, and the
effective use of medication to relieve pain. The researcher plans to use the
findings of this study to formulate hypotheses for a future study. What is a
characteristic of this study?

A. It is a quasi-experimental study.

B. It will lead to level II data.

C. It has a directional hypothesis.

D. It is a hypothesis-generating study.
 Answer Key & Rationale

1. Answer: B. Hypotheses help frame a test of the validity of a theory.

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 (A). Theories cannot be tested directly (C). The research question is also
called the problem statement (D).

2. Answer: C. Level III

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.

3. Answer: C. It is manipulated by the researcher.

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 (A).
The independent variable is presumed to change the dependent variable (B). The
independent variable is manipulated by the researcher and is identified at the
beginning of the study (D).

4. Answer: B. Hypotheses are statements about the relationships among

variables.

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 (A). The independent
variable is not affected or changed by the dependent variable (C). Hypotheses are not
concerned with operationally defining the variables involved in the study, including
treatments or interventions (D).

5. Answer: D. it implies a causative or associative relationship.

A hypothesis implies a causative or associative relationship. A hypothesis guides the

research design and collection of data (A). Operational definitions are not included in
the hypothesis (B). The hypothesis indicates the dependent variable (C).
6. Answer: B. After development of the research question

The hypothesis is developed after development of the research question.

7. Answer: D. The ability to meditate causes lower anxiety in patients with

anxiety disorder than those who do not meditate.

This hypothesis meets the criteria of testability.

8. Answer: A. It is a null hypothesis.

Statistical hypotheses, called null hypotheses, state that there is no relationship

between the independent and dependent variables.

9. Answer: C. The independent and dependent variables are related.

Because the null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the
independent and dependent variables, it is rejected if they are related.

10. Answer: D. It is a hypothesis-generating study.

Not enough is known in this area at this time to formulate hypotheses, so the
researcher will conduct this qualitative study and use the findings to generate
hypotheses for future studies. This is a qualitative study, not a quasi-experimental
study. Level II evidence is obtained from at least one well-designed randomized,
controlled trial. This study has no hypothesis.