HESI Nursing Research
HESI Nursing Research ( 47 Questions)
The nurse is conducting a research study on the effects of back massage on older adults. Baseline pulse and blood pressure measurements are obtained for each subject. One-half of the subjects receive a back massage, and the other half does not. Three sets of blood pressure and pulse measurements are taken on all subjects following the back massage received by one half of the subjects. Ten minutes are spent with each subject while taking these measurements. What is the independent variable?
Blood pressure and pulse measurements. These are not the independent variables, but the dependent variables. The dependent variable is the variable that is measured or observed by the researcher to see if it changes as a result of the independent variable. The dependent variable is also called the outcome or response variable. In this case, blood pressure and pulse measurements are the dependent variables because they are the outcomes that are measured after the back massage intervention.
Time spent with each client. This is not the independent variable, but a confounding variable. A confounding variable is a variable that is not controlled by the researcher and may affect the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. A confounding variable may introduce bias or error into the study and affect its validity and generalizability. In this case, time spent with each client is a confounding variable because it may influence blood pressure and pulse measurements regardless of the back massage intervention.
Older adults. This is not the independent variable, but the population or sample of interest. The population or sample of interest is the group of people or units that the researcher wants to study and generalize to. The population or sample of interest is also called the target or study population or sample. In this case, older adults are the population or sample of interest because they are the group of people that the researcher wants to study and generalize to regarding the effects of back massage on blood pressure and pulse measurements.
Back massage. This is the correct answer because the independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or controlled by the researcher to test its effect on another variable. The independent variable is also called the intervention or treatment variable. In this case, the back massage is the independent variable because it is the intervention that is given to one half of the subjects and not to the other half. The researcher wants to test the effect of back massage on blood pressure and pulse measurements.
The other options are not correct because: