Unveiling Meaning: Concepts and Terms in Science

1. Chapter 3 Concept Development:Clarifying Meaning of Terms

2. Concepts—Introduction • Ursprache—a language that is the recorded or hypothetical ancestor of another language or group of languages

3. Concepts—Introduction—(cont.) • Heiligenschein is the name for an optical effect, which creates a bright spot around the shadow of a viewer’s head when this viewer is looking at it. It is created when the surface on which the shadow falls has special optical characteristics. Dewy grass is known to exhibit these characteristics and create a heiligenschein. Nearly spherical dew droplets act as lenses to focus the light on the surface beneath them. Some of this light “backscatters” in the direction of the sunlight as it passes back through the dew droplet. This makes the antisolar point appear the brightest (Wikipedia).

4. Concepts—Introduction—(cont.) • Clinamen—the spontaneous microscopic swerving of atoms from a vertical path as they fall. According to Lucretius, there would be no contact between atoms without the clinamen, and so, “No collision would take place and no impact of atom upon atom would be created. Thus nature would never have created anything” (lines 220–225). This was first described in Epicurian physics (Wikipedia).

5. Concept—Definitions • Terms that refer to phenomena that occur in nature or thought • An abstract term derived from particular attributes about a phenomenon • Symbolic statement describing a phenomenon

6. Question Tell whether the following statement is true or false: Concepts are words or phrases that refer to or describe a phenomenon.

7. Answer True Rationale: Concepts are terms that refer to or describe phenomena that occur in nature or thought.

8. Concept—Definition Commonalities • Term or word • Abstract or symbolic • Refers to a phenomenon

9. Concept—Characteristics • Concrete (airplane, body temperature, pain) or abstract (hope, love, comfort) • Can be directly or indirectly seen, heard, felt, smelled, etc.

10. Concept —Characteristics—(cont.) • May be a: • Word • Two words • Phrase grief, empathy job satisfaction Health-promoting behaviors

11. Concept—Characteristics—(cont.) • When operationalized, concepts become variables tested in research. • Scholars within a discipline must define concepts clearly and accurately. • Concepts are used as bricks in theory building.

12. Types of Concepts—Borrowed • Physiology—adaptation, homeostasis • Psychology—personality, cognition, id • Biology—cell, species, protoplasm • Sociology—culture, community

13. Types of Concepts—Concrete • Directly observable empirical referents (can be seen, felt, or heard) • Limited by time and space and are observable in reality

14. Types of Concepts—Abstract • Are not clearly observable directly or indirectly • Must be defined in terms of observable concepts • Independent of time and space

15. Types of Concepts—Variable • Variable or continuous concepts allow classification on a continuum (e.g., blood pressure, temperature, pain) • Examples in nursing include • Pain • Hope • Quality of life • Grief • Social support

16. Question Which is NOT a variable concept? • Desire • Gender • Health • Knowledge • Pain

17. Answer B. Gender Rationale: Gender is a discrete concept.

18. Types of Concepts—Discrete • Discrete or nonvariable concepts identify categories or classes of phenomena. • Discrete variables can be qualified as “yes” or “no” or categorized into groups. • Examples used in nursing include • Gender • Ethnicity • Marital status • Education level (e.g., high school, some college, college grad)

19. Concept Development • Concept analysis, concept development, and concept synthesis bring clarity to the definition of concepts used in a science. • Concept analysis/development is the process of inquiry that explores the meaning of concepts. • The purpose of concept development is to promote understanding.

20. Concept Development—(cont.) • Theory, research, and practice are linked. • When concepts have been identified, named, and developed, they can be tested in research studies. • Researchers construct concepts into models and theories. • Theories can be applied in practice. • Practice leads to questions for research.

21. Strategies for Concept Development • There are several methods for constructing meaning for concepts. • Most of the methods used in nursing are derived from a process developed by a sociologist in the early 1960s (Wilson).

22. Strategies for Concept Development—Walker and Avant • First published in 1986; 5th edition, 2011 • Oldest and most frequently used method in nursing

23. Strategies for Concept Development—Walker and Avant—(cont.) • Three processes • Concept analysis—used when concepts require basic definition and clarification for research or scholarship • Concept synthesis—used when concepts require observation or other forms of research for development • Concept derivation—used when there are few concepts available to explain a nursing problem; examination of non-nursing phenomena

24. Question Which of Walker and Avant’s processes for concept development is most likely used to examine a non-nursing concept? • Concept analysis • Concept derivation • Concept synthesis

25. Answer B. Concept derivation Rationale: Walker and Avant would most likely use concept derivation to examine a non-nursing concept.

26. Strategies for Concept Analysis—Walker and Avant • W&A process of concept analysis • Select a concept. • Determine the purpose of the analysis. • Identify uses of the concept. • Determine defining attributes. • Construct a model case. • Construct borderline, related, contrary, invented, and illegitimate cases. • Identify antecedents and consequences. • Define empirical referents.

27. Concept Analysis—Walker and Avant—Examples

28. Strategies for Concept Development—Rodgers and Knafl • “Evolutionary method” first published in 1989; 2nd edition published in 2000 • Concurrent task approach rather than sequential as with W&A

29. Strategies for Concept Development—Rodgers • Rodgers’ process of concept analysis • Identify the concept and associated terms. • Select a setting or sample for data collection. • Collect data to identify the attributes of the concept and its contextual basis. • Analyze the data regarding concept characteristics. • Identify an exemplar of the concept. • Identify hypotheses and implications for further research.

30. Strategies for Concept Development —Rodgers and Knafl—Examples

31. Other Concept Development Strategies • Hybrid method—Schwartz-Barcott and Kim • Theoretical phase • Fieldwork phase • Analytical phase • Meleis • Concept exploration • Concept clarification • Concept analysis

32. Other Concept Development Strategies—(cont.) • Morse • Concept delineation • Concept comparison • Concept clarification • Penrod and Hupcey • Principle-based concept analysis

33. Examples From the Literature—One Word • Risk • Denial • Partnership • Healing • Forgiveness • Waiting

34. Examples From the Nursing Literature—Two Words • Cultural marginality • Chronic fatigue • Intentional action • Successful aging • Peer support • Inner strength • Health literacy • Functional status

35. Examples From the Nursing Literature—Phrase • Touch to reduce preoperative anxiety • Infant feeding responsiveness • Abuse of aging caregivers • Art of developmental care in the NICU

36. Concepts to Study—Student Papers • Chemo brain • Postdeployment reassimilation • Hoarding • Wholeness • Thermoregulation • Survivorship

37. Concepts to Study—Student Papers—(cont.) • Males are nurturing caregivers • Palliative care in the NICU • Leadership • Normal birth experience reconciliation • Moderate sedation • Genetic health promotion • Rally at the end-of-life