Nursing Research NCLEX Practice(B)

Nursing Research NCLEX Practice(B) 1. 1. Question Which one of the following statements about hypothesis is most accurate? o A. Hypotheses represent the main idea to be studied and are the foundations of research studies. o B. Hypotheses help frame a test of the validity of a theory. o C. Hypotheses provide the means to test nursing theory. o D. A hypothesis can also be called a problem statement. Correct Answer: B. Hypotheses help frame a test of the validity of a theory. Although theories cannot be tested directly, hypotheses provide a bridge between theory and the real world. A hypothesis is a predetermined declaration regarding the research question in which the investigator(s) makes a precise, educated guess about a study outcome. This is sometimes called the alternative hypothesis and ultimately allows the researcher to take a stance based on experience or insight from medical literature. • Option A: It is the research question that represents the main idea to be studied. Investigators conducting studies need research questions and hypotheses to guide analyses. Starting with broad research questions (RQs), investigators then identify a gap in current clinical practice or research. • Option C: Theories cannot be tested directly. To test a hypothesis, researchers obtain data on a representative sample to determine whether to reject or fail to reject a null hypothesis. In most research studies, it is not feasible to obtain data for an entire population. • Option D: The research question is also called the problem statement. Any research problem or statement is grounded in a better understanding of relationships between two or more variables. Research questions do not directly imply specific guesses or predictions; the researcher must formulate research hypotheses.