Author Question: When designing a research study, the nurse should have which of these understandings about ... (Read 35 times)

SAVANNAHHOOPER23 · **on:** Jul 8, 2018

When designing a research study, the nurse should have which of these understandings about independent and dependent variables?

a. All research problem statements should contain a dependent and an independent variable.
b. There should only be one dependent variable associated with a single independent variable.
c. The relationship between the independent and the dependent variable in any study should be causal.
d. A given characteristic or situation may be the dependent variable in one study and the independent variable in another.

Question 2

A nurse's research question is, How does maternal employment among health care professionals affect infant health during the first 6 months of life? In this question, what is the dependent variable?

a. Infant health
b. Maternal employment
c. First 6 months of life
d. Health care professionals

jliusyl · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 8, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D

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A Some descriptive studies may have one variable only, and qualitative studies do not include independent and dependent variables.
B Many studies include more than one independent variable and more than one dependent variable.
C The relationship between independent and dependent variables is not necessarily causal. An association between variables need not indicate causality.
D Depending on the particular study, a specific variable may be the dependent or the independent variable. The causal or associative direction between variables determines the classification of the variables as independent or dependent.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A

Feedback
A Infant health is the consequence or presumed effect that changes regarding maternal employment. Thus it is the dependent variable.
B Maternal employment is presumed to effect a change in the infant's behavior (the dependent variable). Thus, maternal employment is the independent variable.
C The first 6 months of life refers to the time the subjects (mothers and infants) will be observed in the study.
D Health care professionals constitute the population to be studied.