Study Framework - Research Paper Example

Study Framework Affiliation Is the framework explicitly presented or must it be extracted from the literature review? Identify the framework used. The study framework of paper is explicitly presented under the abstract. The theoretical framework is divided into sections. First, the paper provides historical overview of the major ideas, contributions as well as competing theories of pain from ancient civilizations (Powers & Knapp, 2011). Secondly, it gives the definition of the concept of pain.

Finally, the review mainly focuses on a number of theories that have been postulated in describing mechanisms that underlie pain perception since 17the century (Burns et al. 2015). The review then presents an overview of current thinking. The most influential theories of pain perception that are discussed are the Specificity (or Labeled Line), Intensity, Pattern, and Gate Control Theories of Pain. 2. Does the framework describe and define the concepts of interest? From the review, it is crystal clear that, other than the definition of pain, the theoretical framework fails to describe and define the concepts of interest.

Concepts of interest are symbolic or image representation of abstract ideas. They are major components of theories thus conveys the abstract ideas within the theories (Burns et al. 2015). The author just uses the several concepts such as touch and pain, stimuli, impulses, neurons, pathways, responsivity, synapse, innocuous, neurons, intensity, skin, noxious among others (Powers & Knapp, 2011). 3. Does the framework present the relationships among the concepts? Is a map or model of the framework provided for clarity?

Yes, the framework presents the relationships among the concepts and such relationships include: Firstly, specialized sense organs encode pain and touch stimuli. Secondly, impulses for every modality travel along distinct pathways. Impulses project to pain and touch centers in the brain. Intensity affects pathways for stimuli because the number of impulses that are present in neurons determines the intensity of a stimulus. Also, low levels of activity encode innocuous stimuli while high level of activity encodes noxious stimuli.

Somatic sense organs are responsive to a wide range of stimulus intensities. Finally, different sense organs tend to have distinct levels of responsivity to stimuli. The patter of activity or a population code of neurons encodes the location and modality of the stimulus (Burns et al. 2015). The map or model of the framework is provided for clarity. The review provides a diagram and a conceptual framework for each of the four most influential theories of pain perception (Powers & Knapp, 2011). 4. Are the concepts in the framework linked to the study variables?

Yes, the concepts in the framework are linked to the study variables. There is a conceptual framework which is a structure of concepts and theories that have been pulled together as a map for the given study. In the study of how physiological basis of pain are explained, the review compares the frequency and intensity of a stimulus to the pathways for stimuli. Intensity affects pathways for stimuli because the number of impulses that are present in neurons determines the intensity of a stimulus (Meleis, 2011).

Impulses for every modality are linked to the pathways of stimuli because they tend to travel along distinct pathways. 5. If a proposition from a theory is to be tested, is the proposition clearly identified and linked to the study’s hypothesis? Yes, testing a proposition from a theory would reveal that the proposition is clearly identified and linked to the study’s hypothesis. The theoretical proposition explains both the process and what is actually happening in the process or the entire phenomenon (Meleis, 2011).

A proposition from a theory clearly spells out how each and every concepts are related. According to specificity theory of pain, every modality tends to have a specific receptor as well as associated sensory fibre that is only sensitive to a particular stimulus. The proposition is clearly identified and linked to mechanisms that underlie pain perception (Burns et al. 2015). References Burns, N., Grove, S. K., & Gray, J. (2015). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice.

London: Elsevier Health Sciences. Meleis, A. I. (2011). Theoretical nursing: Development and progress. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Powers, B. A., & Knapp, T. R. (2011). Dictionary of nursing theory and research. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.