Compare independent variables, dependent variables, and extraneous variables. Describe two ways that researchers attempt to control extraneous variables. Support your answer with peer-reviewed articles.

Compare independent variables, dependent variables, and extraneous variables. Describe two ways that researchers attempt to control extraneous variables. Support your answer with peer-reviewed articles.

Compare independent variables, dependent variables, and extraneous variables. Describe two ways that researchers attempt to control extraneous variables. Support your answer with peer-reviewed articles.

Nursing research is intensive and extensive and seeks to develop knowledge about health and health promotion and other objectives. Mainly, health care researchers study many elements whose features and properties are described qualitatively and quantitatively. Variables are characteristics of the study subjects or materials taking different values such as test scores, age, and temperature. Variables are categorized as dependent, independent or extraneous and researchers should control extraneous variables to improve reliability and validity of findings.

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Dependent and independent variables characterize the studies with a cause-effect relationship. The independent variable is the presumed cause of an effect; it can be manipulated and controlled (Kaur & Mittal, 2021). Its value does not depend on other study variables. On the other hand, the dependent variable is the effect and it is what the researcher measures (Millimet & Parmeter, 2022). Its value varies with manipulation/changes in the independent variable. A study on the effect of sleep on the academic performance of school-going children can perfectly illustrate the independent-dependent variables’ connection. The amount of sleep is the independent variable, and the performance the dependent variable (Adelantado-Renau et al., 2019). An extraneous variable is a variable the researchers are not investigating but can affect the researcher’s understanding of the relationship between variables. Examples include the features of the environment and participants’ characteristics such as age and intelligence.

Due to the far-reaching consequences of extraneous variables, researchers should control them as much as possible. One of the reliable control mechanisms is randomization. Here, researchers randomly give the experimental groups treatments and minimize the effects of subconscious bias. The other effective strategy is matching. It is a control method where researchers match confounding variables such as age and education level into different groups to ensure that variables are equally distributed.

References

Adelantado-Renau, M., Diez-Fernandez, A., Beltran-Valls, M. R., Soriano-Maldonado, A., & Moliner-Urdiales, D. (2019). The effect of sleep quality on academic performance is mediated by Internet use time: DADOS study. Jornal de Pediatria, 95(4), 410-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2018.03.006

Kaur, L., & Mittal, R. (2021). Variables in social science research. Indian Res. J. Ext. Edu, 21(2&3), 64-69. https://seea.org.in/uploads/pdf/2021-66-64-69.pdf

Millimet, D. L., & Parmeter, C. F. (2022). Accounting for skewed or one-sided measurement error in the dependent variable. Political Analysis, 30(1), 66-88. https://doi.org/10.1017/pan.2020.45

DQ 2: Levels of Evidence

Health care processes and outcomes should be continually improved as time advances. As a result, organizations’ leaders and staff should support practice changes to enhance the quality of care, workplace relationships, and organizational productivity, among other outcomes. Practice change, such as implementing EBP projects, is usually supported by evidence. The level of evidence should be as high as possible, and it is determined by quality, quantity, and consistency (Yancey, 2019). Practice change also varies with the levels of evidence.

Level I evidence (the highest in the hierarchy) involves experimental, randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Systematic reviews of RCTs also belong to this level of evidence. Regarding the type of practice change, level I evidence can be used to answer research questions such as the effect of caffeine on medication errors (Glasofer & Townsend, 2019). They can also be used to recommend and guide EBP and quality improvement, such as adopting new technologies to facilitate remote monitoring of patients. Level II evidence includes quasi-experimental research or systematic reviews of RCTs and quasi-experimental studies. They can also facilitate the adoption of new technologies and guide quality improvement. Level III evidence involves non-experimental, systematic reviews of RCTs and quasi-experimental studies, with or without meta-analysis. Such studies lack a comparison group and are not randomized (Salvo, 2021). They are effective in guiding health care organizations on policy changes such as the adoption of zero-tolerance policies for workplace incivility.

Levels IV and V evidence are not highly recommended for critical practice changes, although it contains supporting evidence. Level IV evidence includes case reports and case series. Level V evidence is the weakest, primarily including expert opinions from respected authorities or committees (Salvo, 2021). Levels IV and V evidence can be used to support policymaking and the development of workplace laws.

References

Glasofer, A., & Townsend, A. B. (2019). Determining the level of evidence: Experimental research appraisal. Nursing2020 Critical Care, 14(6), 22-25. doi: 10.1097/01.CCN.0000580120.03118.1d

Salvo, S. G. (2021). Mosby’s pathology for massage professionals-e-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Yancey, N. R. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing for teaching-learning: But is it really nursing?. Nursing Science Quarterly, 32(1), 25-28. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0894318418807929

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Topic 4 DQ 1
Points
8
Assessment Description
Compare independent variables, dependent variables, and extraneous variables. Describe two ways that researchers attempt to control extraneous variables. Support your answer with peer-reviewed articles.
Topic 4 DQ 2
Points
8
Status
Assessment Description
Describe the “levels of evidence” and provide an example of the type of practice change that could result from each.
PLEASE USE SCHOLARLY ARTICLES TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION. EACH QUESTION SHOULD BE AT LEAST 250 WORDS AND CITE AT LEAST 2 ARTICLES FOR EACH. PLEASE REFERENCE IN APA 7 FORMAT. MAKE SURE CONTENT IS ORIGINAL AND NOT USED BEFORE.