Deck 2: Theoretical Framework

Question 1

Which of the following sequences represents movement from a greater level of abstraction to a more concrete relationship between concepts?

A) Conceptual model, theory, hypothesis
B) Theory, hypothesis, conceptual model
C) Hypothesis, conceptual model, theory
D) Hypothesis, theory, conceptual model

Answer 1

Conceptual model, theory, hypothesis

Question 2

"The fundamental epistemological stance that all knowledge is personal and based on the interests,experiences,and perceptions of the researcher and the research participant" best describes which of the following?

A) Post-positivist
B) Critical
C) Constructivist
D) Critical and constructivist

Answer 2

Critical and constructivist

Question 3

How are theoretical and conceptual frameworks different?

A) Conceptual frameworks are more appropriate for qualitative studies, and theoretical frameworks are more appropriate for quantitative studies.
B) Theoretical frameworks are individually developed by researchers, and conceptual frameworks already exist.
C) Conceptual frameworks are individually developed by researchers, and theoretical frameworks already exist.
D) Theoretical frameworks generate theory, whereas conceptual frameworks test theory.

Answer 3

Conceptual frameworks are individually developed by researchers, and theoretical frameworks already exist.

Question 4

In an article reporting the results of a qualitative study that used inductive reasoning methods,where is the conceptual framework usually presented?

A) Introduction
B) Methods
C) Statistical Analysis
D) Discussion

Question 5

In an article reporting the results of a quantitative study that used deductive reasoning methods,where is the conceptual framework usually presented?

A) Introduction
B) Methods
C) Statistical Analysis
D) Discussion

Question 6

When reading an article reporting the results of nursing research,you find that the framework has been drawn from a discipline other than nursing.What should you consider when critiquing this aspect of the article?

A) Has the author clearly indicated the meaning of the framework to the study and linked the framework to nursing?
B) Does the author have special expertise or education in the discipline from which the framework has been derived?
C) Does the research have implications across disciplines?
D) Is the author a recognized leader in nursing?

Question 7

Which of the following is a good method for improving your research skill in evaluating frameworks?

A) Reading the abstract closely and skimming the rest of the article.
B) Performing a literature search of all concepts related to the framework.
C) Conducting a scholarly analysis of the theoretical frameworks created by known nursing leaders.
D) Engaging in repeated critiques and discussing the critiques with others who have critiqued the same article.

Question 8

When critiquing a research article,what is the most important issue the reader should consider about the concepts of the study?

A) The theoretical interrelatedness of the concepts
B) Whether the study is qualitative or quantitative in nature
C) The specific meanings the researcher has ascribed to the study concepts
D) An in-depth understanding of the grand theory that underpins the study concepts

Question 9

How are theory and practice interrelated?

A) Practice is the operational definition of theory.
B) Practice provides the opportunity to test theory.
C) Theory provides the evidence on which practice is based.
D) Theory generates questions that are used to refine practice.

Question 10

During a class examination,the course instructor notes that a student who usually does poorly in class tests has shaking hands,knocks over a bottle of water,breaks the points of two pencils,makes many erasures,and wrinkles her computer score sheet.The instructor concludes that the student has test anxiety.What type of reasoning is demonstrated by the instructor?

A) Inductive reasoning
B) Deductive reasoning
C) Theoretical reasoning
D) Faulty reasoning

Question 11

Which of the following statements represents an operational definition?

A) Spirituality is a way of being or experiencing that comes about through an awareness of a transcendent dimension and one's identifiable values with regard to self, other, nature, and whatever one considers to be ultimate. (Elkins, 1988)
B) Death anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling upon contemplation of one's own death (Templer, 1986), measured by Templer's Death Anxiety Scale.
C) Maternal identity entails maternal cognitions and affect with regard to the maternal-infant relational system. (Walker and Montgomery, 1994)
D) Pain is a pattern of responses to protect the organism from harm. (Sternbach, 1979)

Question 12

Which of the following research questions reflects an inductive approach to scientific inquiry?

A) Is there a difference in infection rates among patients with neutropenia who eat from dishes cleaned with automatic dishwashers as compared with patients with neutropenia who eat from dishes that are hand washed?
B) Do older adults residing in assisted-living settings have more social interaction than do older adults residing in their own homes?
C) What is the relationship between self-esteem and loneliness in recently widowed women over 60?
D) What is the experience of parents when their child is born more than 10 weeks preterm?

Question 13

Which of the following definitions of paradigm is correct?

A) A way of linking the naturalistic world to empirical thought
B) Philosophical beliefs that influence the way people in a society think about the world
C) A model that captures the interaction of specific variables within a known concept
D) A concept that encompasses the integration of "wholeness," spirituality, and personal worth into scientific thought

Question 14

What is the major difference between inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning?

A) Inductive reasoning is theory driven, and deductive reasoning is independent of theory.
B) Deductive reasoning forms the basis for qualitative research, and inductive reasoning forms the basis for quantitative research.
C) Deductive reasoning is an unconscious approach in which intuition, rather than logic, is the key feature, whereas inductive reasoning encompasses a more logical and systematic approach to problem identification.
D) Inductive reasoning starts with observed details that lead to a general structure or picture, whereas deductive reasoning begins with a structure or picture that guides the search for associated details.

Question 15

How is the Critical Thinking Decision Path helpful in the research decision process of selecting a quantitative or qualitative study design?

A) It reflects the researcher's beliefs and subsequent research questions and activities.
B) It reflects the method of research study dissemination activities.
C) It reflects research results related to studies focused on critical thinking.
D) It distinguishes between the inductive and deductive reasoning processes.

Question 16

Which of the following factors or structure has the lowest level of abstraction?

A) Operational definition
B) Conceptual definition
C) Midrange theory
D) Grand theory

Question 17

What is the purpose of a conceptual model?

A) To move concepts from a concrete frame of reference to a more abstract one
B) To move concepts from an abstract frame of reference to a more concrete one
C) To reduce the abstraction of an operational definition
D) To allow testing of grand theories

Question 18

"The methodological stance that the researcher should remain a distant observer in the research process" best describes which of the following?

A) Post-positivist
B) Social critical thought
C) Constructivist
D) Naturalist

Question 19

How is a model related to a concept or concepts?

A) A model tests conceptual theories.
B) A concept defines the purpose of a model.
C) A model demonstrates the relationships among or between concepts.
D) Concepts generate the theoretical basis for knowledge depicted in a model.

Question 20

Which of the following is the correct definition of theory?

A) The assumptions and beliefs of the "worldview" of the researcher
B) A set of interrelated concepts that provides a systematic view of a phenomenon
C) The specific and measurable premise or assumption based on which the rationale for research direction is established
D) A researcher's "best guess" of the expected direction of the relationship between independent and dependent variables

Question 21

"The philosophical quests to use research to balance the distribution of power in modern society" best describes which of the following?

A) Post-positivist
B) Critical
C) Constructivist
D) Critical and constructivist

Question 22

"The ontological view that human responses to health and illness can be measured" best describes which of the following?

A) Post-positivist
B) Critical
C) Constructivist
D) Critical and constructivist

Question 23

"The goal of inquiry is understanding how 'participants' perceive the world by analyzing their use of language and their social interactions" best describes which of the following?

A) Post-positivist
B) Critical
C) Constructivist
D) Critical and constructivist