Consider the following research statement : "A study to assess motivation-focused intervention effect on self-esteem of adolescents in a school" What type of variable is 'motivation-focused intervention' in the statement given above?

1. A

   Confounding

2. B

   Independent

3. C

   Dependent

4. D

   Extraneous

Appeared in: ESIC Nursing Officer-7July 2024

Explanation

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• The independent variable is the factor that is manipulated, controlled, or introduced by the researcher to observe its effect.
• In this study, the 'motivation-focused intervention' is the treatment or activity being applied by the researcher.
• It is considered the 'cause' in a cause-and-effect relationship.
• The goal is to see if this intervention (the cause) leads to a change in self-esteem (the effect).

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: A confounding variable is an uncontrolled 'extra' variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables, potentially causing a misleading association. The intervention itself is the planned, controlled variable, not a confounder.
• Option C: The dependent variable is the outcome that is measured; it is the 'effect'. In this study, 'self-esteem' is the dependent variable, as it is what researchers are measuring to see if it changes.
• Option D: An extraneous variable is any factor other than the independent variable that could affect the outcome. While related to confounding variables, the intervention itself is the primary focus of the study, not an outside influence.

Related Visual

• Visual 1: Flowchart - A diagram showing the Independent Variable ('Motivation-focused intervention') pointing an arrow to the Dependent Variable ('Self-esteem'), with Extraneous/Confounding Variables ('Family support', 'Age') shown as outside factors pointing to the Dependent Variable.

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing Identification of variable types in a research statement helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Understanding the difference between variable types is fundamental for nurses to critically appraise research articles and apply evidence-based practice.
• Nurses must be able to identify the intervention (independent variable) and the outcome (dependent variable) to determine if a study's findings are relevant to their patient population.
• What if? - If the study found that age (a confounding variable) had a greater effect on self-esteem than the intervention, nurses would need to consider age-specific strategies rather than applying the intervention universally.

How to Approach the Question

• First, read the research statement carefully to understand what is being studied.
• Identify the 'cause' and the 'effect' in the statement. Ask yourself: 'What is the researcher changing or applying?' and 'What is the researcher measuring?'
• The factor being applied or manipulated by the researcher is the independent variable (the cause).
• The outcome being measured is the dependent variable (the effect).
• Evaluate the options based on these definitions. The 'motivation-focused intervention' is what is being applied, so it is the independent variable.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Identification of variable types in a research statement
• Stem keywords: research statement, motivation-focused intervention, self-esteem, variable
• Lead-in keywords: What type of variable
• Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

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