Research and Evidence

Running head: RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE 1
Research and Evidence
Student Name
Professor’s Name
University Name
Date

RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE 2
RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE
ARTICLE 1
1. Aim/ Purpose of the study and the hypothesis study
Yes, the main aim/purpose and the hypothesis that led to the study were explicitly stated.
The main objective of the research study was to investigate the effects of cognitive
behavioral therapy and meditation as a form of treatment in tinnitus sufferers. The
hypothesis of the study was that both the active and the control groups that were selected
and used in the study would significantly indicate a positive improvement after
application of the cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation. The hypothesis in the
study was based work that had earlier been done by Sadler and Stephens (Sadlier,
Stephens, & Kennedy, 2008).
2. The independent variables and how participants were allocated to each group
The independent variable was the response to the therapy and the meditation as a way of
treatment of tinnitus sufferers.
The study involved a group of twenty-five patients who had been confirmed to have been
complaining about tinnitus and thus were identified to significantly benefit from the
therapies. The venue of the research study was at the Welsh Hearing Institute in Cardiff.
The selected sample was obtained from those individuals who were attending the
specified tinnitus clinic for the first time. A study design that involved a waiting list
control was applied to determine the behavioral therapy and mindfulness meditation in
chronic tinnitus sufferers. The patients were divided into two groups on a consecutive
basis. The first group was treated after consultation with audiological physician in a one
four-hour session while the second group had to wait a period of not less than three

RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE 3
months and thus acted as control for themselves. The patients were placed in the groups
strictly on a consecutive basis (Sadlier, Stephens, & Kennedy, 2008).
3. The dependent variables and how they were measured
The dependent variables included pessimism/helplessness, impact on hearing, ability to
ignore the disease, relaxation, impacts on emotions as a result of tinnitus among others.
The dependent variables were assessed using six measures that assessed the various
aspects of tinnitus such as severity, general view of their life and mood and the effects of
the ailment on them. The six measures were:
 The tinnitus questionnaire: It was a scale comprising of thirty-three items that was
developed to measure the severity of the disease. Items measured included,
pessimism, impact on hearing, ability to assume the disease, relaxation,
acceptance and emotional effects of the disease. The variables were measured on
a visual analogue scale that ranged from true to not true.
 Hospital anxiety and depression scale: the fourteen-item scale measured anxiety
and depression in the patients. Scores ranged from zero to twenty-one where
scores above 10 were regarded as extreme problems.
 Tinnitus visual analogue scale. It measured the effects of the disease on the
patients, scale ranged from 0-100. 0 represented lack of problems while 100
represented serious problem
 Life satisfaction scale: the five-item scale was used to measure a patient’s general
view on their lives and the influence the modification of tinnitus had on these
perceptions. The answers ranged from strongly disagree to strongly agree.