Nursing Research Q31
Which criteria are used to determine the testability of a hypothesis? Select all that apply.
A. Use of quantifiable words such as greater than or less than.
B. A hypothesis stated in such a way that it can be clearly supported or not supported.
C. The use of value-laden words in a hypothesis.
D. Data-collection efforts that prove the validity of the hypothesis.
Correct Answers: A, B
Testability refers to the ability to run an experiment to test a hypothesis or theory. When designing a research hypothesis, the questions being asked by the researcher must be testable or the study becomes impossible to provide an answer to the inquiry. Testability refers not only to methods used for the investigation but also the constraints of the researcher.
Option A: Quantifiable words increase the testability of a hypothesis. Write the hypothesis in such a way that it can be proven or disprove it. In many cases, researchers might draw a hypothesis from a specific theory or build on previous research.
Option B: The more clearly the hypothesis is stated, the easier it will be to accept or reject it based on study findings. It must be possible to prove that the hypothesis is true or false.
Option C: Hypotheses should not have value-laden words. A variable is a factor or element that can be changed and manipulated in ways that are observable and measurable. However, the researcher must also define how the variable will be manipulated and measured in the study.
Option D: Data-collection processes are not part of the criterion used to evaluate the testability of hypotheses. Identify the independent and dependent variables in the hypothesis. The independent variable is what the researcher is controlling or changing. The researcher measures the effect this has on the dependent variable.