Question 1

The nurse researcher determines that all aspects of a study systematically and logically follow from the research problem.Which condition has been met?
A) Internal validity
B) External validity
C) Accuracy
D) Legitimacy

Accepted Answer

Correct C: Accuracy meAnswer that all aspects of a study systematically and logically flow from the research question.
Incorrect A: Internal validity refers to whether the independent variable made the change in the dependent variable.
Incorrect B: External validity refers to the generalizability of the investigation's findings to additional populations and other environmental conditions.
Incorrect D: Legitimacy refers to the plausibility or validity of an item,variable,or study.

Question 2

What action would be the best control for a mediating variable when designing a study to determine whether a videotape format or a pamphlet is more effective in teaching young women how to perform breast self-examination (BSE)?
A) Randomly assign subjects to the two groups.
B) Exclude subjects who already perform BSE on a regular basis.
C) Limit the study subjects to women who are heterosexual.
D) Determine what breast cancer means to the individual participants.

Accepted Answer

Correct B: Subjects who already were performing BSE would not be appropriate to include in a study on teaching how to perform BSE.
Incorrect A: Random assignment of subjects to the two treatment groups would strengthen the study but not decrease known mediating variables.
Incorrect C: Sexual orientation does not affect a woman's need to perform BSE.
Incorrect D: The meaning of breast cancer to participants would not act to control the extraneous or mediating variables in this situation.

Question 3

The nurse researcher designed a study examining anxiety among elementary school children.If a widely publicized murder of a child occurred in the city during the time frame of the study,what type of threat to internal validity would the murder represent?
A) Maturation
B) Instrumentation
C) Selection bias
D) Historical

Accepted Answer

Correct D: The murder would represent a historical event threatening internal validity.
Incorrect A: Maturation represents developmental,biological,or psychological processes within individuals occurring as a function of time.
Incorrect B: Instrumentation refers to changes in the measurement of variables or observational techniques that may change obtained measurement.
Incorrect C: Selection bias occurs when precautions are not used to gain a representative sample.

Question 4

Why would a nurse researcher want to limit or eliminate extraneous variables in a study?
A) More research questions would be required to define the extraneous variable.
B) Extraneous variables compete with the dependent variable as an explanation of the study's outcome.
C) Extraneous variables compete with the independent variable as an explanation of the study's outcome.
D) Manipulation of the extraneous variables increases the risk for researcher bias in the study's outcome.

Accepted Answer

Correct C: Extraneous or mediating variables interfere with analyzing the effect of the independent variable(s)on the dependent variable.
Incorrect A: Research questions are not necessarily linked to or controlling of extraneous variables.
Incorrect B: The dependent variable is influenced by the independent variable.
Incorrect D: Manipulation of extraneous variables does not necessarily increase (or decrease)the risk for researcher bias.

Question 5

How can the literature review assist a nurse researcher in selecting the appropriate design for a quantitative study?
A) By enlarging the scope of the hypothesis
B) By ensuring that the researcher remains faithful to the study purpose
C) By allowing the researcher to compare current findings with previous findings
D) By providing the opportunity to determine the objectivity of the problem area

Accepted Answer

Correct D: Objectivity in the conceptualization of the research question is derived from a thorough review of the literature.
Incorrect A: The literature review gives the researcher clues about the direction and nature of hypotheses but not necessarily the scope.
Incorrect B: The literature review does not ensure fidelity to study purpose; the research design serves this role.
Incorrect C: The literature review does give information on past findings,but the research design is obtained by comparison to the design of previous studies.

Question 6

When would the issue of control be less important in a quantitative study?
A) When a statistically significant analysis is used
B) When an exploratory research design is used
C) When an experimental research design is used
D) When a correlational research design is used

Accepted Answer

Correct B: Control is less important in exploratory studies because the researcher is investigating an area in which little literature exists.
Incorrect A: The analysis of the data provided will produce statistically significant or insignificant results; this is not synonymous with a research design.
Incorrect C: Control is critical to optimal experimental design.
Incorrect D: Control is more important to correlational design than exploratory design because relationships between factors are being studied.

Question 7

Why would a nurse researcher choose to assign randomly the subjects in a study?
A) To ensure that all groups within a study are representative of the larger population
B) To increase the chances that the study groups will be different from each other with regard to extraneous variables
C) To ensure that current events do not influence the outcomes of the study
D) To eliminate the need for establishing specific study criteria and subject eligibility

Accepted Answer

Correct A: Randomization is designed to ensure that study subjects represent the larger population.
Incorrect B: Study groups that are different with regard to extraneous variables would not be increased by randomization.
Incorrect C: Randomization cannot control current historical events.
Incorrect D: Randomization does not eliminate the need for study criteria and subject eligibility factors.

Question 8

The nurse researcher is designing a quantitative research study.What is the overall purpose of research design?
A) To determine sample size
B) To identify the problem statement
C) To aid in the solution of a research question
D) To assist the researcher in identifying gaps in knowledge

Accepted Answer

Correct C: The purpose of the research design is to provide the plan for Answerwering the research question(s).
Incorrect A: Sample size is determined by the chosen design or power analysis.
Incorrect B: The problem statement describes the general focus of the research study.
Incorrect D: Gaps in knowledge should be identified and synthesized in the literature review.

Question 9

A nurse researcher is designing a quantitative research study involving a specific group of patients admitted to local hospitals and is assessing the feasibility of the study.Which factor negatively affects the feasibility of this study?
A) The local region has a high percentage of families that could participate in the study.
B) Potential study subjects represent less than 1% of hospital admissions during the year previous to the study.
C) Study participants who were children under the age of 5 years could not give direct informed consent to participate in the study.
D) A comprehensive review of the literature shows no studies were conducted that examined this question during the past 15 years.

Accepted Answer

Correct B: Feasibility refers to the pragmatic considerations of a study; this few admissions would make subjects difficult to obtain.
Incorrect A: This could actually positively affect feasibility of the study.
Incorrect C: Informed consent for children would not affect availability of subjects.
Incorrect D: Lack of previous studies would suggest a need for the study,but that factor does not influence feasibility.

Question 10

Which factor is the measure used by a nurse researcher to keep the conditions of a quantitative study uniform?
A) Accuracy
B) Methods
C) Control
D) Validity

Accepted Answer

Correct C: Control is the term used for measures used by the researcher to keep the conditions of a study uniform.
Incorrect A: Accuracy refers to all aspects of a study systematically and logically following from the research question.
Incorrect B: Methods refers to sections of the research study including sampling,data collection,and data analysis.
Incorrect D: Validity refers to the truthfulness or soundness of a study.

Question 11

A nurse researcher assigns half of a study sample to an experimental group and the other half of the study group to a control group.What does this represent regarding controlling for mediating variables?
A) Data-collection constancy
B) Manipulation of the mediating variable
C) Elimination of the mediating variable(s)
D) Manipulation of the independent variable

Accepted Answer

Correct D: Administration of a program,treatment,or intervention to a treatment group,and not a control group,represents manipulation of the independent variable.
Incorrect A: Separating subjects into two groups (treatment versus control)does not represent data-collection constancy.
Incorrect B: A mediating or extraneous variable is usually controlled rather than manipulated.
Incorrect C: Separation of study subjects into treatment and control groups does not itself eliminate mediating variables.

Question 12

Why would the nurse researcher's administration of a pretest in a research study be of concern?
A) It is a threat to internal validity that may affect the posttest results.
B) It is a threat to external validity that may affect the posttest results.
C) It is a form of selection bias that contributes to the problem of maturation.
D) It is a form of maturation that contributes to the problem of selection bias.

Accepted Answer

Correct A: Taking the same test repeatedly can influence subjects' subsequent responses and threaten internal validity.
Incorrect B: Testing is a threat to internal validity,not external validity.
Incorrect C: Pretesting should not create selection bias.
Incorrect D: Maturation describes a developmental,biological,or psychological process in research subjects and is not affected by pretesting.

Question 13

When should a nurse researcher include an extraneous variable as part of a study's design?
A) When it is nonmodifiable, such as age or gender
B) When it is an important consideration for the outcome
C) When the researcher is limited by time and monetary influences
D) When it would not make a difference in the overall study outcome

Accepted Answer

Correct B: If a researcher believes that an extraneous variable is important to the outcome,it should be included in the design.
Incorrect A: Nonmodifiable variables can be controlled for statistically and do not have to be written into a design.
Incorrect C: Time and financial demands should not solely influence whether extraneous variables are part of a study's design.
Incorrect D: If the extraneous variables would not make a difference in the study outcome,then inclusion in the design would be superfluous.

Question 14

How would a nurse researcher ensure that the sample used in a research study is homogeneous?
A) Restrict eligibility criteria to limit extraneous variables relevant to the study.
B) Randomly assign subjects to either the experimental or the control group.
C) Assign one research assistant to collect all data.
D) Collect all data at the same time of day.

Accepted Answer

Correct A: Homogeneity of a sample is ensured by restricting eligibility criteria.
Incorrect B: Random assignment to experimental or control groups does not ensure homogeneity.
Incorrect C: Data collection by one researcher will not control extraneous variables in a sample.
Incorrect D: Timing of data collection will not ensure a homogenous sample.

Question 15

Which action represents the nurse researcher's attempt at constancy in data collection to control extraneous variables in a study examining the effect of hormone replacement therapy on bone-density loss in postmenopausal women?
A) Drawing the blood at the same time of day for all subjects
B) Having the same phlebotomist drawing the blood from all subjects
C) Using the same room for drawing blood from all subjects
D) Ensuring that all subjects were postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy

Accepted Answer

Correct A: Constancy in data collection,for example,identical timing of data collection,helps maintain control in the research design.
Incorrect B: In this scenario,the same person drawing blood samples would not maintain constancy on effects of hormone therapy.
Incorrect C: The same environment for blood draws would not maintain constancy on effects of hormone therapy.
Incorrect D: If subjects were already receiving hormone therapy,it would be difficult to distinguish the effects of the new treatment.

Question 16

Which situation represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of a videotape of home-going instructions for patients being discharged after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?
A) Both men and women were included as subjects in the study.
B) Two new surgeons began performing the coronary artery bypass graft surgeries.
C) Patients in the experimental group discussed aspects of the tapes with patients in the control group.
D) Data collection took 1 year.

Accepted Answer

Correct C: Sharing aspects of the tapes with control group members interferes with interpretation of the true effect of the independent variable.
Incorrect A: Including both genders would be a design strength,not a threat to internal validity.
Incorrect B: Personnel factors like surgeons' newness should not directly affect the treatment and threaten internal validity.
Incorrect D: Duration of data collection does not threaten internal validity,provided that control processes were standardized.

Question 17

Which factor would be considered a mediating variable among potential subjects in a study to determine whether use of high doses of vitamin C are helpful in reducing susceptibility to influenza?
A) Gender and religion of the potential subjects
B) The subjects' knowledge of influenza vaccines
C) The subjects' use of influenza vaccines
D) The educational level and marital status of the potential subjects

Accepted Answer

Correct C: An extraneous or mediating variable is one that interferes with the operations being studied-the study outcome(s),for example,use of influenza vaccines.
Incorrect A: Gender and religion of participants would not act as mediating variables in this instance.
Incorrect B: A subject's knowledge of influenza vaccines would not interfere with the testing of vitamin C's impact on flu susceptibility.
Incorrect D: Educational level and marital status of subjects would not act as mediating variables in this scenario.

Question 18

How could a nurse researcher's use of a homogeneous population of subjects in a research study weaken that study?
A) Decreased reliability of the findings
B) Decreased generalizability of the findings
C) Increased number of subjects needed to reach statistical significance
D) Increased risk that the findings were the result of chance alone

Accepted Answer

Correct B: Homogeneity of a sample can decrease generalizability of the findings.
Incorrect A: Homogeneity of a sample would not necessarily affect reliability.
Incorrect C: Homogeneity of a sample does not mandate a larger sample size.
Incorrect D: Homogeneity does not increase risk of chance findings.

Question 19

Why should a nurse researcher consider mortality a threat to the internal validity of a study?
A) There is a concern that the intervention may have harmful effects.
B) Those who participated in the study may have died as a result of being in the study.
C) Those who dropped out of the study may be different from those who remained in the study.
D) When a study has a large number of participants who drop out of the study, the design is inappropriate for the study questions.

Accepted Answer

Correct C: Subjects who drop out or who are lost from a study may differ from remaining subjects and threaten internal validity.
Incorrect A: Mortality does not refer to harmful aspects of an intervention but to attrition of subjects.
Incorrect B: Mortality does not refer to treatment-related negative consequences.
Incorrect D: Loss of a large number of subjects does not necessarily make a design inappropriate for study questions.

Question 20

What condition would a nurse researcher be attempting to achieve by obtaining the required number of subjects in such a manner that each subject in a population has an equal chance of being selected?
A) Selection bias
B) Convenience
C) Randomization
D) Internal reliability

Accepted Answer

Correct C: Randomization is the process of obtaining subjects so that each has an equal chance of being selected.
Incorrect A: Selection bias occurs when precautions are not used to gain a representative sample.
Incorrect B: Convenience refers to a type of sample where subjects who are available are used; subjects do not necessarily represent the population.
Incorrect D: Internal reliability describes a characteristic of measurement whereby processes are standardized or items in a survey relate to one construct.

Quiz 7: Introduction to Quantitative Research

The nurse researcher determines that all aspects of a study systematically and logically follow from the research problem.Which condition has been met?

What action would be the best control for a mediating variable when designing a study to determine whether a videotape format or a pamphlet is more effective in teaching young women how to perform breast self-examination (BSE) ?

The nurse researcher designed a study examining anxiety among elementary school children.If a widely publicized murder of a child occurred in the city during the time frame of the study,what type of threat to internal validity would the murder represent?

Why would a nurse researcher want to limit or eliminate extraneous variables in a study?

How can the literature review assist a nurse researcher in selecting the appropriate design for a quantitative study?

When would the issue of control be less important in a quantitative study?

Why would a nurse researcher choose to assign randomly the subjects in a study?

The nurse researcher is designing a quantitative research study.What is the overall purpose of research design?

A nurse researcher is designing a quantitative research study involving a specific group of patients admitted to local hospitals and is assessing the feasibility of the study.Which factor negatively affects the feasibility of this study?

Which factor is the measure used by a nurse researcher to keep the conditions of a quantitative study uniform?

A nurse researcher assigns half of a study sample to an experimental group and the other half of the study group to a control group.What does this represent regarding controlling for mediating variables?

Why would the nurse researcher's administration of a pretest in a research study be of concern?

When should a nurse researcher include an extraneous variable as part of a study's design?

How would a nurse researcher ensure that the sample used in a research study is homogeneous?

Which action represents the nurse researcher's attempt at constancy in data collection to control extraneous variables in a study examining the effect of hormone replacement therapy on bone-density loss in postmenopausal women?

Which situation represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of a videotape of home-going instructions for patients being discharged after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?

Which factor would be considered a mediating variable among potential subjects in a study to determine whether use of high doses of vitamin C are helpful in reducing susceptibility to influenza?

How could a nurse researcher's use of a homogeneous population of subjects in a research study weaken that study?

Why should a nurse researcher consider mortality a threat to the internal validity of a study?

What condition would a nurse researcher be attempting to achieve by obtaining the required number of subjects in such a manner that each subject in a population has an equal chance of being selected?