Quantitative Research Concepts

Defining the Framework and Developing Conceptual Definitions

• Quantitative research: A conceptual framework provides broader significance and utility to research findings. Even without a theoretical basis, researchers must have conceptual rationale and clarity regarding the concepts under investigation.
• Theory: An interrelated set of constructs, definitions, and propositions that systematically represent phenomena. It explains and predicts phenomena by specifying relationships between variables.
• Characteristics of a Theory:
  • Composed of concepts
  • Consists of propositions that define relationships between concepts
  • Created or invented, not merely discovered
  • Not proven true
  • It is used in quantitative research via deductive reasoning to make predictions about how phenomena would behave in a real world.
  • In Qualitative research, theory is often the product of the research. Researchers inductively develop a theory rooted in the participants' experiences.
• Concepts: Abstractions that categorize observations based on commonalities and differences. They are the building blocks of theories and vary in their level of abstraction.
• Construct: A complex abstraction that is often deliberately invented or constructed.
• Framework: The overall underpinnings of a study.
  • Theoretical framework: Derived from one or more theories or paradigms, providing a broad, general explanation of relationships between concepts in a research study. It allows empirical testing and provides a rationale for the study.
  • Conceptual framework: Utilizes specific and well-defined concepts and constructs to describe ideas about individuals, groups, situations, and events of interest to a discipline. It serves as a springboard for formulating research hypotheses and constructing more formal theories.
• Difference between Theoretical and Conceptual Framework: While both frameworks contribute to organizing and explaining phenomena, they differ in their level of formality and scope. Theoretical frameworks rely on established theories, while conceptual frameworks offer a less formal, discipline-specific approach.
• Remember to use a theory from your respective profession/discipline to explain and support your hypothesis.
  • Examples of Theories:
    • Florence Nightingale's "Environmental Theory"
    • Hildegard Peplau "Theory of Interpersonal Relations"
    • Virginia Anderson "Nursing Need Theory"
    • Ida Jean Orlando, "Dynamic Nurse-Patient Relationship"
    • Plato's Problem
    • Cartesian Linguistics, by Descartes
    • Locke's Tabula Rasa
    • Skinner's Theory of Behaviorism
• Conceptual Paradigm: A diagrammatic representation of a conceptual framework. It provides a specific visual representation of the study's flow and how the treatment or independent variable will influence the dependent variable.

Formulating the Hypothesis

• Hypotheses: Statements that express researchers' expectations about relationships among study variables. They are predictions of expected outcomes.
• Research Question vs. Hypothesis: A research question identifies the concepts under investigation and asks how they might be related, while a hypothesis proposes a predicted answer to that question.
• Testing Hypotheses: Most quantitative studies are designed to test hypotheses through statistical analysis.
• Acceptance/Rejection: Hypotheses are never proved or disproved, they are accepted or rejected, supported or not supported by the data.
• Developing Hypotheses:
  • Inductive hypotheses: Generalizations inferred from observed relationships. Observations lead to broader generalizations.
  • Deductive hypotheses: Use theories as a starting point. Researchers deduce expected outcomes based on the truth of a general theory.
• Types of Hypothesis:
  • Simple Hypothesis: States an expected relationship between one dependent and independent variable.
• State the Hypothesis:
  • Identify the independent and dependent variables from the title and research problem.
  • Determine whether the research problem or research questions will form the basis for your hypothesis.
  • Word your hypothesis clearly and concisely in the present tense. The relationship can be stated in a positive or alternative way.
  • A good hypothesis must be worded precisely, concisely, and in the active tense.
  • The relationship may be stated in a positive way or alternative hypothesis.

This quiz explores the foundational concepts of quantitative research and the role of theories within it. Participants will examine the characteristics of theories and their importance in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Test your understanding of how conceptual frameworks enhance research clarity and significance.