This document discusses different ways that theories can be used in research studies. It describes three main approaches: 1) Minimal use where the theory provides a framework but is not integrated into the study; 2) Using concepts from theories to organize the research, usually for descriptive rather than testing purposes; 3) Explicitly testing models by deriving hypotheses from assumptions and testing them to support or refute the theory. It also provides examples of grounded theory studies, using existing theories as interpretive frameworks, and testing competing theories. Guidelines are presented for evaluating theory testing, development, and conceptual frameworks in nursing research.

1. USES, TESTING OF
THEORY
Prof. (Dr.) Virendra Singh Choudhary
PhD, M.Sc., MBA, BAMS

2. TESTING, USING AND
DEVELOPING A THEORY OR
FRAMEWORK

3. THE 1ST MANNER was the
minimal use of theory, in which
the theory is explicitely identified
as a research framework but
minimally integrated into the
study. These studies
characteristically mention the
guiding theoretical framework but
neglect incorporation of theory as
a guide to testing or putting
research variables into operation.

4. IN 2ND APPROACH concepts
from theories were used to
organize the research usually for
descriptive rather than theory-
testing purposes. Characteristics
of manuscripts from these studies
include a nice overview of the
theory & linkage between the
research variables & theoretical
framework or the findings’
implications for the framework

5. IN THE 3RD WAY, adequate use
of model for theory testing is
characterized by explicit
indications of model use along
with a study purpose of
determining the models’ validity.
Hypothesis are deducted clearly
from assumptions or propositions
& tested in an appropriate manner
& research findings are analysed
as they offer support for or against
the theory.

6. THEORIES & QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
 Sandelowski (1993) makes a
useful distinction between
substantive theory
(conceptualizations of the target
phenomena that are being
studied) & theory that reflects a
conceptualization of human
enquiry.

7. Example of a grounded
theory study
 Schreiber, Stern & Wilson (2000)
developed a grounded theory of how black
west Indian- Canadian women manage
depression and its stigma. These women
from a non-dominant cultural background
used the process they called "being strong"
to manage depression. "being strong"
included three sub-processes of "dwelling
on it", "diverting myself" & "regaining
composure" as illustrated in their graphic
model these sub-processes overlap.

8. Example of using existing
theory as an interpretive
framework
 in Yeh's (2001) qualitative study
of the adaptation process of 34
Taiwanese children with cancer,
she used Roy's Adaptation
Model as a guide for in-depth
interview's & also for her data
analysis.

9. THEORIES IN
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
 Quantitative researchers, like
qualitative researchers, link
research to theory or models in
several ways. the classic
approach is to test hypotheses
deduced from a previously
proposed theory.

10. TESTING & DEVELOPING
THEORIES
 Example of theory testing in an
intervention study: chang (1999)
used Lazarus and Folkman's Theory
of Stress and Coping to develop and
test an intervention for homebound
caregivers of persons with dimentia
(PWD). according to the theory, the
relationship between stress and a
person's coping ability is mediated
by primary appraisal- the perception
of an experience as stressful or
nonstressful.

11.  Chang reasoned that an intervention
that affects primary appraisal could
positively affect caregiver anxiety
and depression. she developed a
cognitive-behavioural intervention
designed to provide caregivers with
knowledge and skills to improve the
PWD's eating and dressing abilities,
and also to increase caregiver
knowledge of coping strategies. in a
careful study that compared
caregivers who received the
intervention with those who did not,
Chang found that depression
decreased more in the intervention
group.

12. Behavioural beliefs
Cues to action
Susceptibility
Severity
Normative beliefs
Attitude
Intension
Subjective Norms
Behaviour

13. figure showing combined
health belief model and theory
of reasoned action. (adapted
with permission from
J.E.[2001] ). developing a new
model for cross-cultural
research: synthesizing the
health belief model and the
theory of reasoned action.

14. Example of a test of
competing theories
 Yarcheski, Mahon, & Yarcheski
(1999) tested three alternative
theories of anger in early
adolescents: one relating anger to
stress; another attributing anger to
differential emotions & a third
relating anger to personality traits.
The findings suggested that all three
theories are sound and relevant
explanations, but the trait theory
provided the most powerful
explanations.

15. USING A MODEL OR THEORY
AS AN ORGANIZING
STRUCTURE
 Many researchers who cite a theory
or model as their framework are not
directly testing the theory.
Silva(1986), in her analysis of 62
studies that used 5 nursing models,
found that only 9 were direct and
explicit tests of the models cited by
the researchers. She found that the
most common use of nursing models
in empirical studies was to provide
an organizing structure.

16. Example of using a model
as organizing structure
 Resnick & Jenkins (2000) used
Bandura's social cognitive theory as
an organizing structure to revise an
unpublished instrument to measure
self-efficacy barriers to exercise.
focussing on Bandura's construct of
self-eficacy, Resnick & Jenkins
developed the Self-Efficacy for
Exercise Scale.They assessed their
new measure with 187 older adults
living in a continuing care retirement
community.

17. FITTING A PROBLEM TO A
THEORY
 circumstances sometimes arise
in which the problem is
formulated before any
consideration is given to a
conceptual framework.

18. EVALUATION OF THEORY-
TESTING RESEARCH
 Acton, Irvin & Hopkins (1991)
build on silvia’s work by
suggesting 15 specific criteria
useful to evaluate theory-testing
research studies. These
includes following:

19.  The statement of purposes specifies
theoretical testing
 The researcher makes explicit the
underlying theory & summarizes it
appropriately.
 The researcher defines the concept
or construct in terms of the theory
 Prior studies based on the selected
theoretical framework are included in
the literature review or derived of the
concepts that are clearly shown in
the current study.

20.  The researcher use the tenets of the
theory to logically arrive at their
research questions.
 By using very specific hypothesis,
the study places the theory at risk to
be falcified
 The terms of thetheory clearly
generate the operational definitions
of the study.
 The theory & research design are
philosophically congruent

21.  Instruments used to test the
theory have demonstrated
adequate reliability & validity.
 The theory guides the choice of
samples for the study.

22.  Researchers should incorporate the
strongest statistics available into the
study.
 In analysing the data, the
researchers should offer support for
or against &/or possible revision of
the theory.
 An interpretative analysis of findings
related to the theory must appear in
the research report.
 The research report considers the
theory’s impact on nursing.
 The researchers offer suggestions
for more studies based on their
theoretical findings.

23. EVALUATION OF THEORY
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
 Silvia & sorrel (1992) proposed the
following ten evaluate criteria for
these theory development studies:
 The purpose of the studies is to
verify relationship of described
personal experiences to
phylosophical beliefs & assumptions
that underline the development of
nursing theory.

24.  Identification of the research
question is based on an attempt to
provide elaboration of concepts
related to the developing nursing
theory.
 The primary data sources include
sufficient in-depth description of
personal experiences to capture the
essence of the phenomena under
investigation.
 Simplicity, ethical integrity, &
aesthetic presentation are integral
characteristics of the described
personal experiences.

25.  Analysis of data incorporates a
sense of wholeness of the described
personal experiences.
 Formative hypothesis or theories are
derived inductively from qualitative
analysis of the described personal
experiences.
 Multiple personal experiences of
individual or similar personal
experiences of several individuals
about a particular phenomenon are
used to validate the derived
hypothesis.

26.  Analytic procedure of data analysis &
fit of the generated concepts to the
personal experiences provide
indirect evidence of the validity (or
lack theirof) of the developed nursing
theory.
 Findings are discussed in terms of
how they are related to the theories
developed & tested inductively; both
the developing & existing theories
must be internally consistent &
congruent with one another.

27. DEVELOPING CONCEPTUAL
OR THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK & MODELS
 1. Development of a framework depends
on the power of observation, understanding
of a problem, imagination &
conceptualization about abstract ideas &
ability of linking the abstract ideas with
logical scheme to generalize the facts.
 2. frameworks are usually developed
through inductive reasoning where the
researcher has the ability to observe and
conceptualize to generalize the facts.

28.  3. to develop a framework,
concepts may be borrowed from
personal real life experiences,
findings of the previous
research, & concepts of existing
theories or theoretical models.
 4. a theoretical framework is
developed on the basis of
theoretical concepts which are
related to particular research
study variables.

29.  5. conceptual frameworks are
constructed on the basis of the
researcher's own experience in
respective field, & findings of the
previous study or the concepts
of the several existing theories.

30. GUIDELINES FOR
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK IN
NURSING STUDIES
 1. although most nursing studies are
not theory driven, virtually all studies
have an acknowledged conceptual
basis.
 2. if you begin with a research
problem and are trying to identify a
suitable conceptual framework. we
should become more aware of our
own conceptual framework, thus, in
a better position to identify an
appropriate framework.

31.  3. it is often sugested that a theory first be
evaluated before it is used as a basis for a
research project. however, some basic
evaluative criteria are fairly easy to apply,
including the following:
 is the theory one that has significance,
that is,does it address a problem of
particular interest to nurses or society?
 does the theory offer the possibility of
explaining or systematically describing
some phenomenon?
 is the theory testable, that is, can the
concepts be observed & measured & can
hypothesis be deducted?

32.  4. in quality study, evaluation criteria for a
theory is somewhat different than in
quantitative study. in qualitative research,
in which a theory has been developed, the
degree of the theory is fit with the data
which is considered the critical attribute.
 5. if you begin with a research question &
then subsiquently identify an appropriate
framework, be willing to adapt or argument
your original research problem as you gain
greater understanding of the framework.
the linking of theory & research question
often requires an alternative approach.

33.  6. if you are basing your study on a specific
theory or conceptual framework, be sure to
read the theory from a primary source. it is
important to understand fully the
conceptual perspective of the theorist. if
this perspective is not congruent with your
own, it may be that an alternative or
framework would be more appropriate.
 7. it may also be useful to read research
reports of other studies that were based on
the selected framework, even, if the
research problem is not similar to your
own. by reading other studies, you will be
better able to judge how much empirical
support the theory has received & perhaps
how the theory should be adapted.

34.  maximum congruity between the
theory & its components, the
research problem & hypothesis,
the definition &
operationalization of the
concepts & the selection of
research design. if you are really
testing the utility of the
framework, it should drive many
of your research decisions as
well as your interpretations of
the findings.

35. CONCLUSION
 as we progress in our theory
development more and more
research will drive from conceptual
models. as with nursing practice, the
conceptual model structures the
entire research process. nursing
research is increasingly drawing on
conceptual frameworks & models in
its efforts to integrate accumulated
knowledge & advance nursing
science.

36. THANK YOU