In research practice, experimental working methods with testable hypotheses are widely used. According to Newman (2016), studies in this category involve manipulating variables to create unique conditions and proving relevant ideas by analyzing the results of interactions among variables. As the author states, in such works, the presence of the main and control groups is typical, while in non-experimental studies, outcomes are summarized without such a comparison (Newman, 2016). For correlational studies, two variables are applied to prove the relationships between them or the lack of interaction. In experimental works, a hypothesis is a test idea initially, and there is no clearly defined framework within which research is conducted since outcomes cannot be predicted in advance.
The interaction among variables is the feature of quantitative research, and as an example, an appropriate study may be suggested. The work by Tomagová, Bóriková, Lepiešová, and Čáp (2016) demonstrates the frequency of the manifestations of patient aggression in psychiatric wards in accordance with the analysis of the data obtained from the involved nurses. As a hypothesis, the authors cite the idea of the specificity of the treatment environment in which patients are located and seek to prove the relationship between the conditions of care and aggression (Tomagová et al., 2016).
The level of patient aggression in psychiatric departments is a dependent variable, while the treatment environment with its specific features is an independent variable. A quantitative research method is utilized, and the selected sample of nursing is reasonable and planned. According to the study, Tomagová et al. (2016) argue that there is a stable correlation between the characteristics of treatment and patient behavior; therefore, this work can be attributed to the correlation type. There are no unique conditions in which the study is conducted, and its experimental nature is not confirmed.
References
Newman, M. (2016). Research methods in psychology (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.
Tomagová, M., Bóriková, I., Lepiešová, M., & Čáp, J. (2016). Nurses’ experience and attitudes towards inpatient aggression on psychiatric wards. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 7(3), 462-469.