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CHAPTER 3 Theory Development Process 27

TABLE 3-5 Examples of Theoretical and Operational Definitions
Concept Theoretical Definition Operational Definition
Body temperature Homeothermic range of one’s internal environment Degree of temperature measured by oral
maintained by the thermoregulatory system of thermometer taken for 1 minute under the
the human body tongue
Quality of Life Perceptions of the effects of heart failure and its The physical, emotional, social, and mental
treatment on daily life* dimensions of daily life when diagnosed with
heart failure as measured with the Minnesota
Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire †
Spirituality A pandimensional awareness of the mutual Score on the Spiritual Inventory Belief Scale
human/environmental field process (integrality) (SIBS), an instrument that measures a person’s
as a manifestation of higher-frequency spirituality as the search for meaning and
patterning (resonancy) associated with purpose §
innovative, increasingly creative and diverse
(helicy) experiences ‡
The SIBS has four subscales:
1) Internal/fluid
2) Humility/personal application
3) External/meditative
4) External/ritual ¶
* Hussey & Hardin, 2003.
† Rector & Cohen, 1992.
‡ Malinski, 1994.
§ Hatch, Burg, Naberhaus, & Hellmich, 1998.
¶ Hardin, Hussey, & Steele, 2003.

potential and lessons learned in nearly a decade of use in the development of a theory. These statements can
(Smith & Liehr, 2012, p. 65). be reformulated later as the theory evolves or as new
information becomes available. An example of an
Relational Statements antecedent and a consequent variable is explained
Statements in a theory may state definitions or rela- looking at the concept of well in older adults, where
tions among concepts. Whereas definitions provide the antecedents were identified as connecting with
descriptions of the concept, relational statements pro- others, imagining opportunities, recognizing strengths,
pose relationships between and among two or more and seeking meaning. The consequences identified
concepts. Concepts are the building blocks of theory, were living values and being well. These antecedents
and theoretical statements are the chains that link the and consequences were developed from the literature
blocks to build theory. Concepts must be connected (McMahon & Fleury, 2012).
with one another in a series of theoretical statements Theoretical assertions are either a necessary or suf-
to devise a nursing theory. ficient condition, or both. These labels characterize
In the connections between variables, one vari- conditions that help explain the nature of the relation-
able may be proposed to influence a second. In this ship between two variables in theoretical statements.
case, the first variable may be viewed as the anteced- For example, a relational statement expressed as a
ent or determinate (independent) variable and the sufficient condition could be: If nurses react with
second as the consequent or resultant (dependent) approval of patients’ self-care behaviors (NA), patients
variable (Giere, 1997). Zetterberg (1966) concluded increase their efforts in self-care activities (PSC). This
that the development of two-variate theoretical is a type of compound statement linking antecedent and
statements could be an important intermediate step consequent variables. The statement does not assert