Discussion: Substruction of constructs, concepts, and variables.
Discussion: Substruction of constructs, concepts, and variables.
Discussion: Substruction of constructs, concepts, and variables.
Defining concepts allows us to be consistent in the way we use a term in practice, apply it to theory, and measure it in a study. A conceptual definition differs from the denotative (or dictionary) definition of a word. A conceptual definition (connotative meaning) is more comprehensive than a denotative definition because it includes associated meanings the word may have. For example, a connotative definition may associate the term fireplace with images of comfort and warmth, whereas the denotative definition would be a rock or brick structure in a house designed for burning wood. Conceptual definitions may be found in theories, but can also be established through concept synthesis, concept derivation, or concept analysis (Walker & Avant, 2011).
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Concept Synthesis
In nursing, many phenomena have not yet been identified as discrete entities. Recognizing, naming, and describing these phenomena are critical steps to understanding the process and outcomes of nursing practice. In your clinical practice, you may notice a pattern of behavior or find a pattern or theme in empirical data and select a name to represent the pattern. The process of describing and naming a previously unrecognized concept is concept synthesis. Nursing studies often involve previously unrecognized and unnamed phenomena that must be named and carefully defined, so that study readers can understand their meanings and functions. Smith, Swallow, and Coyne (2015) conducted a concept synthesis of family-centered care and partnership-in-care. They reviewed 30 studies that used one or both of the concepts to find common elements. They integrated the shared elements into a framework of pediatric nurses’ involvement with families of children with long-term health conditions.
Concept Derivation
Concept derivation may occur when the researcher or theorist finds no concept in nursing to explain a phenomenon (Walker & Avant, 2011). Concepts identified or defined in theories of other disciplines can provide insight. In concept derivation, a concept is transposed from one of field of knowledge to another. If a conceptual definition is found in another discipline, it must be examined to evaluate its fit with the new field in which it will be used. The conceptual definition may need to be modified so that it is meaningful within nursing and consistent with nursing thought (Walker & Avant, 2011). For example, Manojlovich and Sidani (2008) identified four attributes of dose through concept analysis: purity, amount, frequency, and duration. Using these attributes, they examined the literature of medicine and behavioral therapy to derive a dose concept relevant to nurse staffing. Purity as a component of nurse dose was defined as concentration of nursing knowledge on a hospital unit. Amount was defined as the “total number of nurses available to provide care” (p. 315). The authors also provided definitions of frequency and duration in terms of nurse staffing and linked each aspect of nurse dose to patient outcomes. These attributes of nurse staffing could be helpful in developing an outcomes study. Concept derivation is a creative process that can be fostered by thinking deeply and having a willingness to learn about processes and theories in other disciplines.
Concept Analysis
Concept analysis is a strategy that identifies a set of characteristics essential to defining the connotative meaning of a concept. Several approaches to concept analysis have been described in the nursing and health care literature. Because the approaches have varying philosophical foundations and products, nurse theorists and researchers must select the concept analysis approach that best suits their purposes in a specific situation (Table 8-1). A frequently used approach to concept analysis is the process proposed by Walker and Avant (2011). The procedure guides the scholar to explore the various ways the term is used and to identify a set of characteristics that clarify the range of objects or ideas to which that concept may be applied (Walker & Avant, 2011). These essential characteristics, called defining attributes or criteria, provide a means to distinguish the concept from similar concepts and provide a foundation for determining whether an instrument has construct validity (see Chapters 10 and 16). Clinicians analyze concepts as a means to improve practice, such as Robson and Troutman-Jordan (2014) who analyzed the concept of cognitive reframing as a nursing intervention. Nurses can use cognitive reframing to help patients and their families change their perception of a diagnosis or situation to a more positive view. A more positive view may promote behavior change and well-being (Robson & Troutman-Jordan, 2014).
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