Deck 8: Research Designs

Question 1

Which of the following is linked to the study's research problem, literature review, and framework?

A) Design.
B) Problem.
C) Purpose.

Answer 1

Design.

Question 2

Which item is true about quasi-experimental studies?

A) They do not allow for control of threats to internal validity.
B) They lack either a control group or randomization.
C) They are inferior to experimental designs.

Answer 2

They lack either a control group or randomization.

Question 3

The design for a quantitative study specifies

A) how data will be collected.
B) the hypotheses that will be tested.
C) the timing of data collection.

Answer 3

the timing of data collection.

Question 4

A group of nurse researchers tested the effectiveness of a social support intervention that was designed to improve breastfeeding success in first-time mothers. Mothers who received the intervention were compared to mothers who did not receive the intervention in terms of breastfeeding duration and satisfaction. This describes what type of study?

A) Case study.
B) Correlational.
C) Experimental.

Question 5

Which of the following questions would be consistent with an exploratory study?

A) How prevalent is depression among teenage girls?
B) What are the defining features of depression among teenage girls?
C) What factors are related to depression among teenage girls?

Question 6

Which of the following is the defining feature of a cross-over design?

A) The researcher is not aware which subjects are in the treatment and control groups.
B) Subjects are randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions.
C) Subjects serve as their own controls.

Question 7

The type of design that is best suited for studying the effects of cat dander allergens on asthma in children would be a

A) non-equivalent control-group design.
B) pretest-posttest design.
C) prospective design.

Question 8

A team of nurse researchers used existing data from the Nurses' Health Study to explore work variables associated with migraine headaches. This is an example of what kind of research?

A) Methodological research.
B) Secondary analysis.
C) Survey research.

Question 9

Two researchers studied the reliability, readability, and validity of a tool they were developing to measure the risk of back injury in nurses. This is an example of what kind of research?

A) Methodological research.
B) Secondary analysis.
C) Survey research.

Question 10

If a researcher was interested in studying the prevalence of health-promoting and health risk behaviors among college students, s/he would most likely conduct which type of research?

A) Case study.
B) Evaluation.
C) Survey.

Question 11

A researcher compared the effects of free cafeteria meals on Mondays and employee absenteeism on Mondays. Data were collected for three months before and three months after this program was put into place. This is a description of what type of study?

A) Cross-over.
B) Time-series.
C) Trend.

Question 12

A researcher collected data on predisposing factors for depression from 100 women who had undergone an emergency C-section. Participants completed a depression scale two weeks after delivery. This is a description of what type of study?

A) Prospective.
B) Retrospective.
C) Time-series.

Question 13

A researcher examined records of patients who had been readmitted for postoperative complications in order to identify predictive factors. This is a description of what type of study?

A) Prospective.
B) Retrospective.
C) Trend.

Question 14

A group of researchers studied the effects of background noise (music versus TV) and snack habits (sweet versus salty) on information retention in college students. This describes what type of study?

A) Cross-over.
B) Double-blind.
C) Factorial.

Question 15

A researcher compared stress levels in patients receiving chemotherapy with and without using guided imagery as a distraction intervention. A sample of 20 patients received a random ordering of chemotherapy treatments with and without guided imagery. This describes what type of study?

A) Cross-over.
B) Double-blind.
C) Factorial.

Question 16

The Framingham Heart Study, in which the development of heart disease among residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, was studied over a 30+ year period, is an example of what type of study?

A) Cross-sectional study.
B) Panel study.
C) Trend study.

Question 17

A researcher compares the history of caffeine intake in men who do and do not have prostate cancer. This is an example of what type of study?

A) Panel study.
B) Prospective study.
C) Retrospective study.

Question 18

Presidential opinion polls are an example of what type of study?

A) Cohort study.
B) Panel study.
C) Trend study.

Question 19

A researcher is studying adjustment to spousal military deployment by mailing surveys to individuals whose spouse was deployed three, six, nine, and twelve months earlier. What type of design does this represent?

A) Cohort study.
B) Cross-sectional study.
C) Trend study.

Question 20

A researcher used questionnaires to study the prevalence, distribution, and correlation of burnout among nurses who work in emergency departments. This is an example of what type of research?

A) Case study research.
B) Ethnographic research.
C) Survey research.

Question 21

A nurse researcher studied the meaning of a parent's dementia for the members of one extended family. Data were collected by means of questionnaires and interviews over a two-year period of time. This is an example of what type of research?

A) Case study research.
B) Outcomes research.
C) Process evaluation research.

Question 22

Which of the following ranks highest in most evidence hierarchies?

A) Case control studies.
B) Experimental studies.
C) Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Question 23

In a 2 x 2 factorial design, how many groups will be compared?

A) Two.
B) Four.
C) Variable.

Question 24

How many independent variables are there in a 2 x 3 x 4 factorial design?

A) Three.
B) Nine.
C) Twenty-four.

Question 25

In a pretest-posttest design, which variable is measured both before and after the intervention is applied?

A) Dependent.
B) Independent.
C) Relational.

Question 26

Cross-sectional studies usually are conducted for the purpose of studying a phenomenon at

A) a fixed point in time.
B) multiple time points
C) time-series points.

Question 27

Different samples from the same population are studied at different points in time in regards to a specific phenomenon. This is a classic example of a

A) cohort study.
B) panel study.
C) trend study.

Question 28

The control strategy that does not require the researcher to know in advance which participant characteristics might affect results is

A) homogeneity.
B) matching.
C) randomization.

Question 29

A disadvantage of using homogeneity as a strategy to control extraneous variables is that it decreases

A) external validity.
B) internal validity.
C) statistical conclusion validity.

Question 30

A study has internal validity if

A) alternative explanations for its findings can be ruled out.
B) its findings are replicated in further research.
C) its findings can be generalized to other study settings and samples.

Question 31

A threat to internal validity in a cross-over design is

A) carry-over effects.
B) history.
C) maturation.

Question 32

In quantitative research, a powerful tool for minimizing bias is

A) randomness.
B) reliability.
C) validity.

Question 33

Intrinsic subject characteristics that might function as extraneous variables can be controlled by

A) a comparison group.
B) manipulation.
C) randomization.

Question 34

Extrinsic factors that might function as extraneous variables in a research situation can be controlled by

A) a control group.
B) manipulation.
C) randomization.

Question 35

The most troublesome threat to validity in a nonequivalent control group design is

A) maturation.
B) mortality.
C) selection.

Question 36

When threats to internal validity are present, findings about the ______________ variable may be unreliable.

A) Correlational.
B) Dependent.
C) Independent.

Question 37

Moving toward the mean on repeat measurement is an example of

A) diffusion of treatment.
B) mortality.
C) statistical regression.

Question 38

When the group of participants that is not receiving an intervention believed to be beneficial change their behavior so that they look just as good as the group receiving the intervention, this is known as

A) compensatory rivalry.
B) diffusion of treatment.
C) resentful demoralization.

Question 39

Taking the pretest, which raises awareness and causes study participants to question their attitude and respond differently to the intervention, is an example of

A) experimenter effects.
B) selection bias.
C) reactive effects of testing.