1.

Which one of the following

D. Hypotheses must include a definition of
statements about hypotheses is most the treatment or intervention used.
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.

5. 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.
2. A nurse wants to study the
D. It implies a causative or associative
effectiveness of meditation on people relationship.
with anxiety disorder. Which variable
would be most relevant to explore in
6. When should a hypothesis be
the literature on this topic?
developed by the researcher during
the research process?
A. Use of meditation during childbirth
B. Meditation techniques found to be
A. Before development of the research
effective
question
C. Pain management for people with
B. After development of the research
anxiety disorders
D. Outcomes of meditation when used by question
C. After a research design is determined
elderly populations
D. Before any statistical analysis
3. 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.
4. 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.

7. 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.
8. 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.

12. The nurse develops the following

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

9. 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
13. The nurse develops the following
variables are related.
hypothesis: Elderly women receive
D. The research hypothesis is rejected.
less aggressive treatment for breast
cancer than do younger women. Which
10. Which level is characteristic of the variable would be considered to be the
strength of the evidence provided by independent variable?
the results of a quasi-experimental
study?
A. Degree of treatment received
B. Age of the patient
A. Level I
C. Type of cancer being treated
B. Level II
D. Use of inpatient treatment
C. Level III
D. Level IV
14. The following are considered steps
in the qualitative research process,
11. A researcher wants to discover
except?
why patients of certain ethnic
backgrounds are reluctant to ask for
A. Literature review
pain medication. Because there are
B. Hypothesis
little data in the literature on this
topic, the researcher designs a study C. Sample
to explore the relationships between D. Data collection
cultural belief systems, the experience
of pain, and the effective use of
15. Which of the following could be
medication to relieve pain. The
considered the context of a study?
researcher plans to use the findings of Select all that apply.
this study to formulate hypotheses for
a future study. What is a characteristic A. Cultural understandings and beliefs of
of this study?
study participants
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.

B. The physical setting of the study

C. The sample selected for the study
D. The number of subjects in the study
16. Which beliefs guide the

constructivist paradigm? Select all

that apply.
A. There are multiple realities.
B. The truth is objective.
C. Context does not matter as much as
truth.
D. The participant (subject) is an active part
of the study
17. Which of the following are
consistent with the constructivist
paradigm? Select all that apply.
A. Subjectivism is valued.
B. Natural laws exist.
C. Time and place are important.
D. Generalizability is valued.

18. Which paradigm provides the basis

for qualitative research?
A. Empirical analytical research
B. Constructivism
C. Postpositivism
D. Naturalistic research

19. Which type of research allows

researchers to be neutral observers?
A. Qualitative research
B. Ethnographic research
C. Quantitative research
D. Case studies
20. Which type of research study can
be affected by detracting values of the
researcher?
A. Qualitative
B. Naturalistic
C. Ethnographic
D. Quantitative

Answers and Rationale

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

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: C. Level III

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 Evidence provided by quasi-experimental studies is level III. Level
cannot be tested directly (C). The research question is also called I evidence is obtained from a systematic review of all
randomized, controlled trials. Level II evidence is obtained from at
the problem statement (D).
least one well-designed randomized, controlled trial. Level IV
evidence is obtained from nonexperimental studies.
2. Answer: B. Meditation techniques found to be effective
11. Answer: D. It is a hypothesis-generating study.
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).

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.
12. Answer: A. Degree of treatment received

4. Answer: B. Hypotheses are statements about the

relationships among variables.

The degree of treatment received is considered the dependent

variable.

Hypotheses are statements about the relationships between two

or more variables that suggest an answer to the research
13. Answer: B. Age of the patient
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).
The age of the patient would be the independent variable.
Hypotheses are not concerned with operationally defining the
variables involved in the study, including treatments or
interventions (D).
14. Answer: B. Hypothesis
5. Answer: D. It implies a causative or associative
relationship.

A hypothesis is the tool of quantitative studies, and is only found

in such studies.

A hypothesis implies a causative or associative relationship. A

hypothesis guides the research design and collection of data (A). 15. Answer: A, B
Operational definitions are not included in the hypothesis (B). The
hypothesis indicates the dependent variable (C).
16. Answer: A, D
6. Answer: B. After development of the research question
The hypothesis is developed after development of the research
question.

17. Answer: A, C
18. Answer: B. Constructivism

7. Answer: D. The ability to meditate causes lower anxiety The paradigm that provides the basis for qualitative research is
constructivism.
in patients with anxiety disorder than those who do not
meditate.
19. Answer: C. Quantitative research
This hypothesis meets the criteria of testability.
In qualitative research, researchers are never considered neutral
(A). In ethnography, a type of qualitative research, researchers
are never considered neutral (B). In case studies, a type of
qualitative research, researchers are never considered neutral
Statistical hypotheses, called null hypotheses, state that there is (D).
no relationship between the independent and dependent
variables.
20. Answer: D. Quantitative
8. Answer: A. It is a null hypothesis.

9. Answer: C. The independent and dependent variables

are related.

The values of the researcher must be acknowledged in qualitative

research (A). The values of the researcher must be acknowledged

in naturalistic research (B). The values of the researcher must be
acknowledged in qualitative research (C).