Concept Analysis Using Walker and Avant Method
Directions:
Concept analysis is an approach used to clarify the meanings of terms and to define terms (concepts) so that writers and readers share a common language. Concept analysis should be conducted when concepts require further clarification or development. A method commonly seen is the Walker and Avant method. Take a single concept from your theory you have presented and conduct a concept analysis using the eight steps as outlined by Walker and Avant and used in the Dugger (PDF) (Links to an external site.) article. There is no page requirement for this assignment; address each of the steps in the amount needed to discuss each item.
Select a concept.
Determine the aims of the concept.
Identify all uses of the concept possible.
Determine the defining attributes.
Identify model case.
Identify borderline, related, contrary, invented, and illegitimate cases.
Identify antecedents and consequences.
Define empirical referents.
The following are the steps in the Walker and Avant method of concept analysis along with descriptions of what is entailed in each step.
1. Select a concept.
Concept selection should reflect the topic or area of greatest interest.
2. Determine the aims of the concept.
Is the analysis to clarify the meaning?
Is the analysis to develop an operation definition?
Is the analysis to distinguish between the normal, ordinary, and scientific language usage of the concept?
Is the analysis based on personal interest in conducting the concept analysis itself?
3. Identify all uses of the concept possible.
Use the dictionary, thesauruses, colleagues, and literature to do so.
Do not limit search to just nursing or medical literature.
4. Determine the defining attributes.
Take notes on the characteristics that appear repeatedly when examining the different instances of a concept.
Repeated characteristics will become the critical or defining attributes of the concept.
5. Identify a model case.
A model case is a real life example of the use of the concept that includes all critical attributes of the concept.
The model case can come first, or be developed simultaneously with the attributes, or can emerge after the attributes are tentatively determined.
6. Identify borderline, related, contrary, invented, and illegitimate cases.
Borderline case: contains some of the critical attributes but not all of them
Related case: related to the concept but does not contain the critical attributes
Contrary case: not the concept
Invented case: constructed, but not existing in real life
Illegitimate case: improper use of the concept
7. Identify antecedents and consequences.
Antecedents: events that must occur prior to the occurrence of the concept
Consequences: events that occur as a result of the occurrence of the concept
8. Define empirical referents.
Referents will be classes or categories of actual phenomena that by their existence or presence demonstrated the occurrence of the concept.
Empirical references are useful in instrument development and in contributing to content and construct validity of any new instrument.