Deck 24: Evaluating Research Validity: Part II

Question 1

A researcher uses convenience samples of 30 parents of critically ill children and 30 pediatriccritical care nurses to identify the needs of parents of critically ill children. The researcher wantsto compare parents' self-reported needs with nurses' perceptions of their needs. The nurses allhad a BA degree, were female, and had at least 5 years of experience in the critical care unit. TheCritical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was used to quantify the importance ofperceived family needs. This 45-item instrument consists of needs statements rated on a 4-pointscale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). Psychometric evaluations of the CCFNI havebeen performed in other studies, including construct validity of the needs statements and a 5-factor solution that grouped the needs statements into 5 conceptually meaningful categories:support, comfort, information, proximity, and reassurance. Internal consistency reliabilities inprevious studies ranged from .90 to .95. After obtaining permission from the Institutional ReviewBoard, primary caregivers and their child's primary nurse were recruited for the study within 48hours of admission to a public hospital in a big city. Wilcoxon signed ranks matched-pairs testsdemonstrated a significant difference between the caregivers and nurses in perceived importancefor 4 out of the 5 needs factors or categories.

-The research approach being used in this study is:

A) randomized experimental
B) quasi-experimental
C) comparative
D) associational

Answer 1

comparative

Question 2

A researcher uses convenience samples of 30 parents of critically ill children and 30 pediatriccritical care nurses to identify the needs of parents of critically ill children. The researcher wantsto compare parents' self-reported needs with nurses' perceptions of their needs. The nurses allhad a BA degree, were female, and had at least 5 years of experience in the critical care unit. TheCritical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was used to quantify the importance ofperceived family needs. This 45-item instrument consists of needs statements rated on a 4-pointscale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). Psychometric evaluations of the CCFNI havebeen performed in other studies, including construct validity of the needs statements and a 5-factor solution that grouped the needs statements into 5 conceptually meaningful categories:support, comfort, information, proximity, and reassurance. Internal consistency reliabilities inprevious studies ranged from .90 to .95. After obtaining permission from the Institutional ReviewBoard, primary caregivers and their child's primary nurse were recruited for the study within 48hours of admission to a public hospital in a big city. Wilcoxon signed ranks matched-pairs testsdemonstrated a significant difference between the caregivers and nurses in perceived importancefor 4 out of the 5 needs factors or categories.

-The choice of the Wilcoxon test is:

A) Inappropriate because the design is between groups
B) Appropriate but conservative because most summated scales are normally distributed
C) Not as powerful as a paired t test
D) b and c

Answer 2

b and c

Question 3

A researcher uses convenience samples of 30 parents of critically ill children and 30 pediatriccritical care nurses to identify the needs of parents of critically ill children. The researcher wantsto compare parents' self-reported needs with nurses' perceptions of their needs. The nurses allhad a BA degree, were female, and had at least 5 years of experience in the critical care unit. TheCritical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was used to quantify the importance ofperceived family needs. This 45-item instrument consists of needs statements rated on a 4-pointscale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). Psychometric evaluations of the CCFNI havebeen performed in other studies, including construct validity of the needs statements and a 5-factor solution that grouped the needs statements into 5 conceptually meaningful categories:support, comfort, information, proximity, and reassurance. Internal consistency reliabilities inprevious studies ranged from .90 to .95. After obtaining permission from the Institutional ReviewBoard, primary caregivers and their child's primary nurse were recruited for the study within 48hours of admission to a public hospital in a big city. Wilcoxon signed ranks matched-pairs testsdemonstrated a significant difference between the caregivers and nurses in perceived importancefor 4 out of the 5 needs factors or categories.

-The design classification being used is:

A) Single-factor within-subjects design with two levels
B) Single-factor design with three levels
C) 2 X 2 factorial design with repeated measures on the last factor
D) 2 X 2 factorial design

Answer 3

Single-factor within-subjects design with two levels

Question 4

A researcher uses convenience samples of 30 parents of critically ill children and 30 pediatriccritical care nurses to identify the needs of parents of critically ill children. The researcher wantsto compare parents' self-reported needs with nurses' perceptions of their needs. The nurses allhad a BA degree, were female, and had at least 5 years of experience in the critical care unit. TheCritical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was used to quantify the importance ofperceived family needs. This 45-item instrument consists of needs statements rated on a 4-pointscale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). Psychometric evaluations of the CCFNI havebeen performed in other studies, including construct validity of the needs statements and a 5-factor solution that grouped the needs statements into 5 conceptually meaningful categories:support, comfort, information, proximity, and reassurance. Internal consistency reliabilities inprevious studies ranged from .90 to .95. After obtaining permission from the Institutional ReviewBoard, primary caregivers and their child's primary nurse were recruited for the study within 48hours of admission to a public hospital in a big city. Wilcoxon signed ranks matched-pairs testsdemonstrated a significant difference between the caregivers and nurses in perceived importancefor 4 out of the 5 needs factors or categories.

-Based on the information provided, evidence to support the measurement reliability of the CCFNI is:

A) High
B) Moderate
C) Low
D) Not applicable for the dependent variable

Question 5

A researcher uses convenience samples of 30 parents of critically ill children and 30 pediatriccritical care nurses to identify the needs of parents of critically ill children. The researcher wantsto compare parents' self-reported needs with nurses' perceptions of their needs. The nurses allhad a BA degree, were female, and had at least 5 years of experience in the critical care unit. TheCritical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was used to quantify the importance ofperceived family needs. This 45-item instrument consists of needs statements rated on a 4-pointscale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). Psychometric evaluations of the CCFNI havebeen performed in other studies, including construct validity of the needs statements and a 5-factor solution that grouped the needs statements into 5 conceptually meaningful categories:support, comfort, information, proximity, and reassurance. Internal consistency reliabilities inprevious studies ranged from .90 to .95. After obtaining permission from the Institutional ReviewBoard, primary caregivers and their child's primary nurse were recruited for the study within 48hours of admission to a public hospital in a big city. Wilcoxon signed ranks matched-pairs testsdemonstrated a significant difference between the caregivers and nurses in perceived importancefor 4 out of the 5 needs factors or categories.

-Based on the information provided, evidence to support the measurement validity of the CCFNI is:

A) High
B) Moderate
C) Low
D) Not applicable for the dependent variable

Question 6

A researcher uses convenience samples of 30 parents of critically ill children and 30 pediatriccritical care nurses to identify the needs of parents of critically ill children. The researcher wantsto compare parents' self-reported needs with nurses' perceptions of their needs. The nurses allhad a BA degree, were female, and had at least 5 years of experience in the critical care unit. TheCritical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was used to quantify the importance ofperceived family needs. This 45-item instrument consists of needs statements rated on a 4-pointscale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). Psychometric evaluations of the CCFNI havebeen performed in other studies, including construct validity of the needs statements and a 5-factor solution that grouped the needs statements into 5 conceptually meaningful categories:support, comfort, information, proximity, and reassurance. Internal consistency reliabilities inprevious studies ranged from .90 to .95. After obtaining permission from the Institutional ReviewBoard, primary caregivers and their child's primary nurse were recruited for the study within 48hours of admission to a public hospital in a big city. Wilcoxon signed ranks matched-pairs testsdemonstrated a significant difference between the caregivers and nurses in perceived importancefor 4 out of the 5 needs factors or categories.

-Based on the information provided, the population external validity is:

A) Low: the actual sample is probably not representative of the theoretical population
B) Medium: there was some attempt to obtain a good sample
C) High: the actual sample was representative of the theoretical population
D) Unknown because no information is given about the sample

Question 7

A researcher uses convenience samples of 30 parents of critically ill children and 30 pediatriccritical care nurses to identify the needs of parents of critically ill children. The researcher wantsto compare parents' self-reported needs with nurses' perceptions of their needs. The nurses allhad a BA degree, were female, and had at least 5 years of experience in the critical care unit. TheCritical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was used to quantify the importance ofperceived family needs. This 45-item instrument consists of needs statements rated on a 4-pointscale from 1 (not important) to 4 (very important). Psychometric evaluations of the CCFNI havebeen performed in other studies, including construct validity of the needs statements and a 5-factor solution that grouped the needs statements into 5 conceptually meaningful categories:support, comfort, information, proximity, and reassurance. Internal consistency reliabilities inprevious studies ranged from .90 to .95. After obtaining permission from the Institutional ReviewBoard, primary caregivers and their child's primary nurse were recruited for the study within 48hours of admission to a public hospital in a big city. Wilcoxon signed ranks matched-pairs testsdemonstrated a significant difference between the caregivers and nurses in perceived importancefor 4 out of the 5 needs factors or categories.

-Based on the information provided, the ecological validity is:

A) Low-medium: the setting, tester, procedures, and time of the study are unnatural
B) Medium-high: a questionnaire is being used, but the setting and conditions are natural given the type of study
C) High: this is a natural setting, tester, procedure, and timing for the study
D) None of the above

Question 8

A researcher predicted that music training would enhance young children's spatial-temporalreasoning. 88 preschool children participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to oneof three conditions: 30 children received private music lessons, 29 children received computerlessons, and 29 children were the controls. A standardized test, the Wechsler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), was used to measure spatial-temporal reasoning beforeand immediately after the interventions. The WPPSI is evaluated positively in Buros MentalMeasurements Handbook and has been used in hundreds of studies on preschoolers' reasoningskills. All tasks were independently scored by two researchers blind to condition assignment.Interobserver reliability was r =.95. Significant improvement was found for the private musicgroup only. The researcher stated that this study demonstrates that music training produces longterm modifications in underlying neural circuitry, and improvement of this type may enhance thelearning of mathematics and science

-What type of research approach was used?

A) Randomized experimental
B) Quasi-experimental
C) Comparative
D) Associational

Question 9

A researcher predicted that music training would enhance young children's spatial-temporalreasoning. 88 preschool children participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to oneof three conditions: 30 children received private music lessons, 29 children received computerlessons, and 29 children were the controls. A standardized test, the Wechsler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), was used to measure spatial-temporal reasoning beforeand immediately after the interventions. The WPPSI is evaluated positively in Buros MentalMeasurements Handbook and has been used in hundreds of studies on preschoolers' reasoningskills. All tasks were independently scored by two researchers blind to condition assignment.Interobserver reliability was r =.95. Significant improvement was found for the private musicgroup only. The researcher stated that this study demonstrates that music training produces longterm modifications in underlying neural circuitry, and improvement of this type may enhance thelearning of mathematics and science

-The design classification is:

A) 3 X 2 mixed design with repeated measures on the last factor
B) 3 X 2 factorial design
C) 4 X 2 factorial design
D) Single-factor repeated-measures design with 2 levels

Question 10

A researcher predicted that music training would enhance young children's spatial-temporalreasoning. 88 preschool children participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to oneof three conditions: 30 children received private music lessons, 29 children received computerlessons, and 29 children were the controls. A standardized test, the Wechsler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), was used to measure spatial-temporal reasoning beforeand immediately after the interventions. The WPPSI is evaluated positively in Buros MentalMeasurements Handbook and has been used in hundreds of studies on preschoolers' reasoningskills. All tasks were independently scored by two researchers blind to condition assignment.Interobserver reliability was r =.95. Significant improvement was found for the private musicgroup only. The researcher stated that this study demonstrates that music training produces longterm modifications in underlying neural circuitry, and improvement of this type may enhance thelearning of mathematics and science

-Rate evidence for reliability of the WPPSI:

A) Low: only one type of reliability is mentioned
B) Medium: interrater reliability is high, but no indication of other types of reliability evident
C) High: it is a standardized instrument with other evidence for reliability in the Buros Handbook, and high interrater reliability in this study
D) Medium because too few children were studied

Question 11

A researcher predicted that music training would enhance young children's spatial-temporalreasoning. 88 preschool children participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to oneof three conditions: 30 children received private music lessons, 29 children received computerlessons, and 29 children were the controls. A standardized test, the Wechsler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), was used to measure spatial-temporal reasoning beforeand immediately after the interventions. The WPPSI is evaluated positively in Buros MentalMeasurements Handbook and has been used in hundreds of studies on preschoolers' reasoningskills. All tasks were independently scored by two researchers blind to condition assignment.Interobserver reliability was r =.95. Significant improvement was found for the private musicgroup only. The researcher stated that this study demonstrates that music training produces longterm modifications in underlying neural circuitry, and improvement of this type may enhance thelearning of mathematics and science

-Rate the equivalence of the groups on participant characteristics:

A) Low: no equivalence of groups on attributes other than the independent variable
B) Medium: some attempts to equate the groups
C) High: random assignment to groups
D) Not enough information available

Question 12

A researcher predicted that music training would enhance young children's spatial-temporalreasoning. 88 preschool children participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to oneof three conditions: 30 children received private music lessons, 29 children received computerlessons, and 29 children were the controls. A standardized test, the Wechsler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), was used to measure spatial-temporal reasoning beforeand immediately after the interventions. The WPPSI is evaluated positively in Buros MentalMeasurements Handbook and has been used in hundreds of studies on preschoolers' reasoningskills. All tasks were independently scored by two researchers blind to condition assignment.Interobserver reliability was r =.95. Significant improvement was found for the private musicgroup only. The researcher stated that this study demonstrates that music training produces longterm modifications in underlying neural circuitry, and improvement of this type may enhance thelearning of mathematics and science

-The accessible population is:

A) Preschool children
B) 88 preschool children
C) 30 preschool children in the music training group
D) None of the above

Question 13

A researcher predicted that music training would enhance young children's spatial-temporalreasoning. 88 preschool children participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to oneof three conditions: 30 children received private music lessons, 29 children received computerlessons, and 29 children were the controls. A standardized test, the Wechsler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), was used to measure spatial-temporal reasoning beforeand immediately after the interventions. The WPPSI is evaluated positively in Buros MentalMeasurements Handbook and has been used in hundreds of studies on preschoolers' reasoningskills. All tasks were independently scored by two researchers blind to condition assignment.Interobserver reliability was r =.95. Significant improvement was found for the private musicgroup only. The researcher stated that this study demonstrates that music training produces longterm modifications in underlying neural circuitry, and improvement of this type may enhance thelearning of mathematics and science

-An appropriate statistic is:

A) One-way ANOVA on the change or gain scores
B) Repeated-measures ANOVA
C) Independent sample t test
D) Correlation
E) None of the above

Question 14

A researcher predicted that music training would enhance young children's spatial-temporalreasoning. 88 preschool children participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to oneof three conditions: 30 children received private music lessons, 29 children received computerlessons, and 29 children were the controls. A standardized test, the Wechsler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), was used to measure spatial-temporal reasoning beforeand immediately after the interventions. The WPPSI is evaluated positively in Buros MentalMeasurements Handbook and has been used in hundreds of studies on preschoolers' reasoningskills. All tasks were independently scored by two researchers blind to condition assignment.Interobserver reliability was r =.95. Significant improvement was found for the private musicgroup only. The researcher stated that this study demonstrates that music training produces longterm modifications in underlying neural circuitry, and improvement of this type may enhance thelearning of mathematics and science

-The conclusions of the study are:

A) Based on the data
B) Overstated and misleading
C) Appropriate given the sample
D) None of the above

Question 15

A masked review indicates that peer experts reviewed an article without knowing the author.

Question 16

Articles in popular magazines have been peer reviewed.

Question 17

In a research study with more than one research question, the researcher may be using more than one research approach.

Question 18

Internal validity and evidence for causation are influenced by the research approach.

Question 19

Measurement instruments for dependent variables seldom require reporting of measurement reliability and validity.

Question 20

A study's validity can be reduced if one or more key measures show little evidence of reliability.

Question 21

Participant characteristics in two groups may appear equal initially, but differences may occur over time as a result of genetic predisposition or maturation. These differences mostly affect external validity.

Question 22

Extraneous variables are well controlled in comparative and associational studies.

Question 23

Laboratory settings are considered highly artificial with regards to ecological validity.

Question 24

A major limiting factor to using complex associational analyses is the number of participants required.

Question 25

Independent variables are also known as criterion variables.

Question 26

Regression analyses are used to predict a criterion variable from several predictor variables.

Question 27

What is the difference between a population, selected sample, and actual sample?

Question 28

What type of study should include the evaluation of the construct validity of the intervention?

Question 29

Why is peer review important?