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 what?
A) Null hypothesis
B) Nondirectional hypothesis
C) Directional hypothesis
D) Causal hypothesis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A directional hypothesis makes a clear prediction about the direction of the relationship between the variables being studied. In this case, the nurse is predicting that there will be a positive relationship between nurses' attitudes toward AIDS patients and the number of AIDS patients they have cared for in practice, which is a clear and specific directional hypothesis. The statement does not suggest a causal relationship, as it does not state that one variable causes the other. It also does not fit the definition of a null hypothesis, which is a statement that there is no significant relationship between the variables being studied. Lastly, it is not a nondirectional hypothesis, which would predict that there is a relationship between the variables but not specify the direction of that relationship.

A Nurse Describes the Hypothesis of a Research Study As