Find a published research study on a topic that you could use for your DNP project that used a correlation test and find this information from the study:
- Give the purpose/objective/aim of the study exactly as it is written in the study.
- What is the population in the study?
- What are two sets of variables in the study tested by correlations?
- What is the level of measurement for the variables (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio)? What type of variables are they (categorical or continuous)?
- If a hypothesis was stated in the article for the correlations, give it here and label it as a Ho or Ha. Write the stated hypothesis as an equation. Write the other hypothesis (the Ho or Ha that was not given) in words and an equation. If a hypothesis was not stated, then restate the purpose/objective/aim as a null hypothesis in words and equation format. Do this for both a null and alternative hypothesis. Again, focus on only two sets of variables tested by correlations. Use the format in the handout attached to the announcement for this week.
- What are the assumptions for correlations (cite the source where you find them)? Are they met in this study? Provide information given in the study that can be used to determine whether each assumption is or is not met. What information is not given?
- What alpha level (level of significance) was used?
- Give the r-statistics and p-values for the correlations you are using for this week.
- Indicate whether the correlations are positive (direct) or negative (indirect)
- Determine the strength of the correlations using Box 9-1, p. 156 in the Kim et al. (2022) textbook.
- Do these results establish that one variable causes the other variable. Explain your answer.
- Specifically state the p-value rule for the results of this study to determine whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis.
- Based on the decision made about the null hypothesis, what type of error is possible (Kim et al., 2022, pp. 131-132 and Table 7-3).
- What are the usual causes of this type of error? Are any of them present in the methodology for this study?
- The effect size for correlations is determined by the strength of the correlations (Kim et al., (2022, p. 134). Use your knowledge, critical thinking, and experience with your patients and setting, would you incorporate these findings into your practice? Is your evaluation of the clinical significance of the findings consistent with the statistical significance for the findings and the value of the correlations? Explain your rationale.
