Question 1

The nurse researcher is interested in estimating how reliably data can be used to generalize the findings of a study.Which type of data analysis should be used to allow this to occur?

Accepted Answer

Correct A: Inferential statistics are used by researchers to make predictions and generalize findings based on data.
Incorrect B: Descriptive statistics are used to describe and summarize data by reducing data to manageable proportions by summarizing them.
Incorrect C: Nonparametric statistics are a type of inferential statistics.
Incorrect D: The term mathematical statistics is a circular Answerwer.

Question 2

What conclusion can be drawn from statistics that indicate the mean nursing salary in a specific city is $55,000,the range is $38,000 to $78,000,the median salary is $58,000,and the mode is $56,000?

Accepted Answer

Correct C: This is the average or mean nursing salary.
Incorrect A: The SD is most likely large.
Incorrect B: The mode is the category or grouping with the highest frequency.
Incorrect D: The mean is an average; it is more stable than the mode or median and is most likely closest to the true nursing salary in the neighborhood.

Question 3

When would a nurse researcher opt to use measures of central tendency?

Accepted Answer

Correct D: Measures of central tendency yield a single number that describes the middle of the group and summarizes the members of a sample.
Incorrect A: This Answerwer describes a function of inferential statistics.
Incorrect B: This Answerwer describes measures of variability.
Incorrect C: This Answerwer is incorrect.

Question 4

The nurse researcher is using a nursing degree as a variable in a research study.What level of measurement would be most appropriate in this case?

Accepted Answer

Correct A: This variable (type of nursing degree)is scaled using categorical data,nominal level.The type fits only one characteristic.
Incorrect B: This variable (type of nursing degree)is scaled using categorical data,nominal level.The type fits only one characteristic.
Incorrect C: This variable (type of nursing degree)is scaled using categorical data,nominal level.The type fits only one characteristic.
Incorrect D: This variable (type of nursing degree)is scaled using categorical data,nominal level.The type fits only one characteristic.

Question 5

The nurse researcher is using a research study that involved categories of patient weights.What level of measurement would be most appropriate in this study?

Accepted Answer

Correct A: The data are represented by nominal-level data,categories,or classifications.
Incorrect B: The data are represented by nominal-level data,categories,or classifications.
Incorrect C: The data are represented by nominal-level data,categories,or classifications.
Incorrect D: The data are represented by nominal-level data,categories,or classifications.

Question 6

The nurse researcher opts to use ratio-level data.What will be the researcher's primary concern if this level of data is used?

Accepted Answer

Correct C: This is characteristic of ratio measurement.
Incorrect A: This response is true for all levels of data: nominal,ordinal,interval,ratio
Incorrect B: This is true for intervals between numbers for interval- and ratio-level data.
Incorrect D: This response does not describe interval-level data.

Question 7

The nurse researcher opts to use interval-level data.What will be the researcher's primary concern if this level of data is used?

Accepted Answer

Correct B: This is the defining characteristic of interval measurement.
Incorrect A: This response is true for all levels of data: nominal,ordinal,interval,ratio.
Incorrect C: The zero does not represent the total absence of a variable in interval-level data.
Incorrect D: This response does not describe interval-level data.

Question 8

What term represents the most frequent score in a frequency distribution?

Accepted Answer

Correct B: The category with the highest frequency is the mode and is used often with nominal-level data.
Incorrect A: The mean as an average represents interval- and ratio-level data.
Incorrect C: The median is the middle score or the score when 50% of the scores are above it and 50% of the scores are below it.
Incorrect D: Percentile represents the percentage of cases a given score exceeds.

Question 9

How can the nurse researcher know when to report the mean,mode,and median of a variable in a research study?

Accepted Answer

Correct D: If the distribution of a variable of a sample is symmetrical and unimodal,the mean,mode,and median should be reported.
Incorrect A: This is an inaccurate statement.
Incorrect B: This is an inaccurate statement.
Incorrect C: This is an inaccurate statement.

Question 10

In a study of women's adjustment to breast cancer,the youngest participant was 23 years old and the oldest participant was 89 years old.How should the nurse researcher interpret this data?

Accepted Answer

Correct D: This example illustrates a measure of dispersion or variability,the difference between the highest and lowest scores.
Incorrect A: This example does not illustrate an average.
Incorrect B: This example does not reflect the average represented by the category with the highest frequency.
Incorrect C: This example does not reflect the average represented by the point at which 50% of the scores fall above and 50% fall below

Question 11

The nurse researcher is using the percentage of nurses holding various nursing degrees as a variable in a research study.What type of statistics would be most appropriate in this case?

Accepted Answer

Correct B: Percentage represents descriptive statistics.
Incorrect A: Percentage represents descriptive statistics.
Incorrect C: Nonparametric statistics are used when testing hypotheses on data generated at nominal and ordinal units.
Incorrect D: This is a circular Answerwer and does not apply.

Question 12

The nurse researcher opts to group frequency data using large interval widths in a research study.What problem should the researcher recognize might be encountered by using this type of interval widths?

Accepted Answer

Correct B: Very large interval widths lead to loss of data information and may obscure patterns in the data.
Incorrect A: Overlap is eliminated by defining the size of the group or interval width so that no score falls into two groups.
Incorrect C: Frequency intervals do not generate meAnswer.
Incorrect D: Data or a score generated on a variable will fit into one frequency interval defined by the investigator.

Question 13

The nurse researcher's data contain extremes of high and low scores.Which measure of central tendency should the researcher plan to use in order to be least affected by extremes of high and low scores?

Accepted Answer

Correct A: The mean is affected by every score and the least affected by chance.The larger the sample size,the less affected the mean will be by a single score.The mean is the most stable,least affected by extremes,and most useful for other calculations.
Incorrect B: The mode is unstable and can fluctuate widely from sample to sample from the same population.
Incorrect C: The median is not sensitive to extremes in high and low scores; it is less stable than the mean.
Incorrect D: Percentile is not a measure of central tendency; the median is the 50th percentile.

Question 14

The nurse researcher is interested in describing and summarizing the characteristics of the sample used in the research study.Which type of data analysis should be used to allow this to occur?

Accepted Answer

Correct B: Descriptive statistics are used to describe and summarize data by reducing data to manageable proportions by summarizing them.
Incorrect A: Inferential statistics are used by researchers to make predictions and generalize findings based on data.
Incorrect C: Nonparametric statistics are a type of inferential statistics.
Incorrect D: The term mathematical statistics is a circular Answerwer.

Question 15

The nurse researcher is using respiratory rate as a variable in a research study.What level of measurement would be most appropriate in this case?

Accepted Answer

Correct D: Respiratory rate can have an absolute zero-absence of respirations.
Incorrect A: Rate is represented by a number representing frequency per minute.
Incorrect B: Rate is represented by a number representing frequency per minute.
Incorrect C: Rate is represented by a number representing frequency per minute.

Question 16

How can a nurse researcher determine the assignment of a number to an object for measurement?

Accepted Answer

Correct B: The assignment of a number or a value to a category that represents the category must be consistently applied to similar objects assigned the same number-value label.
Incorrect A: A narrow range is not necessary to meet category requirements; the range may be large.
Incorrect C: The numbers assigned to objects are consistently applied; this relates to independent and dependent variables.
Incorrect D: The numbers assigned to objects are consistently applied; this relates to independent and dependent variables.

Question 17

The nurse researcher is interested in having the greatest flexibility possible in choosing statistical procedures.Which level of measurement should be used to achieve this?

Accepted Answer

Correct D: Ratio measurement is the highest level of measurement; all mathematical procedures can be performed on data from ratio scales.
Incorrect A: Nominal-level data allow the least amount of mathematical manipulation.
Incorrect B: Ordinal-level data are limited in the amount of mathematical manipulation possible.
Incorrect C: Interval-level data allow for a great amount of data manipulation.

Question 18

The nurse researcher opts to use a measure of variability.Which measure of variability does the researcher recognize as being the most unstable?

Accepted Answer

Correct C: The range is very likely to be changed by a single extreme score.
Incorrect A: Mean is a measure of central tendency.
Incorrect B: Median is a measure of central tendency.
Incorrect D: The semiquartile range is more stable than the range; it is less likely to be changed by a single extreme score.

Question 19

The nurse researcher is interested in using nominal level data.Which object or event could be used if nominal-level data are of primary interest?

Accepted Answer

Correct C: Marital status is most often represented by nominal-level data.
Incorrect A: Test scores are best represented by interval-level data.
Incorrect B: Education level is best represented by ordinal data: increasing rankings of education level.
Incorrect D: Weight is represented by interval or ratio-level data.

Question 20

The nurse researcher is interested in describing the assignment of numbers to objects or events.How can this be best achieved?

Accepted Answer

Correct D: This Answerwer fits the definition provided in the stem.
Incorrect A: This Answerwer does not fit the definition provided in the stem.
Incorrect B: This Answerwer represents a measure of variability description.
Incorrect C: This Answerwer represents a measure of dispersion (variability)description.

Quiz 14: Data Analysis: Descriptive and Inferential Statistics