Deck 3: Introduction to Quantitative Research

Question 1

A researcher randomly assigns a large group of subjects who are hospital patients either to receive magnesium at bedtime or not to receive magnesium at bedtime, and then measures sleep quality and duration. What type or research is this?

A)Correlational research
B)Experimental research
C)Descriptive research
D)Quasi-experimental research

Answer 1

Experimental research

Question 2

A researcher selects a quantitative experimental research design. For what reasons does the researcher select this particular design?

A)To generate a theory
B)To answer a research question
C)To determine which of several causes is the true one
D)To prove a theory
E)To disprove a hypothesis
F)To determine the strength of the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable

Answer 2

To answer a research question
To determine the strength of the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable

Question 3

A research study contains the following in its Introduction section: "This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia. Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support. The claim that massage increases total hours of sleep has been inadequately researched. Does massage increase the total number of hours of daily sleep? It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day. The study's causational explanation was based on the physiological matrix of McCarthy, which includes effects of endorphins on sleep, learning ability, pain, digestive function, and cardiac output. It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed." Select the research assumption.

A)This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia.
B)It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day.
C)It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed.
D)Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support. The claim that massage increases total hours of sleep has been inadequately researched.

Answer 3

It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed.

Question 4

A researcher studies the effect of three, 1-hour counseling sessions on eliminating bullying behaviors in teenagers. For the dependent variable, the researcher selects the outcome of being reported to the principal's office in the 2 weeks following the sessions. The sample consists of the 18 high schools in a large metropolitan area. The results of the research are dismissed by reviewers as meaningless, severely limiting generalization. What is the problem here?

A)Construct validity limitations
B)Not enough independent variables
C)External validity limitations
D)Inadequate sample size

Question 5

How is a quantitative researcher who exemplifies rigor similar to the best technical nurse who works in a cardiovascular intensive care unit?

A)They both believe in the value of working hard toward a goal.
B)They are both aggressive in acquiring and recording data.
C)They both strive for excellence.
D)They both communicate well with others.
E)They both are disciplined in the way they conduct their jobs.
F)They both are passionate about accuracy and attending to details.

Question 6

Which is the best statement that differentiates between the sizes of samples and populations?

A)A sample has a maximum size; a population does not.
B)A sample cannot be the same size as a population.
C)If a person is a member of a population, he is a member of the sample chosen from that population.
D)A population is usually larger than a sample.

Question 7

A researcher conducts a study to determine the effectiveness of a special program of sensitivity training for nurse managers upon several outcomes, all related to their staff's ability to identify and intervene appropriately when medication errors occur. This is an example of what type of quantitative research?

A)Applied research
B)Basic research
C)Descriptive research
D)Qualitative research

Question 8

A research study contains the following in its Introduction section: "This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia. Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support. The claim that massage increases total hours of sleep has been inadequately researched. Does massage increase the total number of hours of daily sleep? It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day. The study's causational explanation was based on the physiological matrix of McCarthy, which includes effects of endorphins on sleep, learning ability, pain, digestive function, and cardiac output. It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed." Select the research framework.

A)It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed.
B)Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support.
C)It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day.
D)The study's causational explanation was based on the physiological matrix of McCarthy, which includes effects of endorphins on sleep, learning ability, pain, digestive function, and cardiac output.

Question 9

A research study contains the following in its Introduction section: "This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia. Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support. The claim that massage increases total hours of sleep has been inadequately researched. Does massage increase the total number of hours of daily sleep? It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day. The study's causational explanation was based on the physiological matrix of McCarthy, which includes effects of endorphins on sleep, learning ability, pain, digestive function, and cardiac output. It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed." Select the research purpose.

A)This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia.
B)It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day.
C)Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support. The claim that massage increases total hours of sleep has been inadequately researched.
D)The study's causational explanation was based on the physiological matrix of McCarthy, which includes effects of endorphins on sleep, learning ability, pain, digestive function, and cardiac output.

Question 10

A student completes a master's thesis on correlates of depression in retired airline pilots, and the thesis is shelved in the library. Has this student communicated these research findings, and why or why not?

A)Yes, because the thesis is in the library and can be accessed.
B)No, because the findings have not been made available to persons who will utilize them.
C)Yes, because the students in this particular master's program often discuss their work in progress.
D)No, because if the findings do not appear in print in a nursing journal, they have not been communicated.

Question 11

What does a quantitative research instrument measure?

A)The level of measurement
B)A statistical test
C)Itself, for validity
D)A study variable

Question 12

A correlational researcher reports that the strength of the relationship between X and Y is near 0 (r = 0.0135). What does this mean, relative to prediction?

A)If X is present, Y is only somewhat likely to be present.
B)If Y is absent, X will also be absent.
C)If X is present, there is no guarantee at all that Y will be present.
D)If Y is absent, X will always be present.

Question 13

A researcher studies the effect upon dental caries formation of a year-long regimen of daily rinsing with a particularly noxious-flavored oral solution, only to discover that 285 of the 300 subjects in the study have withdrawn from it by the end of the first month. Which step in the research process was not properly undertaken?

A)Defining the purpose
B)Conducting the literature review
C)Selecting study variables
D)Performing a pilot study

Question 14

In a given research study, the findings reveal that as A increases, B also increases, that the relationship is linear, and that the strength of the relationship is 0.78. What type of relationship is this?

A)Positive
B)Negative
C)Inverse
D)None
E)Causational
F)Correlational

Question 15

A research study contains the following in its Introduction section: "This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia. Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support. The claim that massage increases total hours of sleep has been inadequately researched. Does massage increase the total number of hours of daily sleep? It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day. The study's causational explanation was based on the physiological matrix of McCarthy, which includes effects of endorphins on sleep, learning ability, pain, digestive function, and cardiac output. It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed." Select the research problem.

A)This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia
B)It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day.
C)It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed.
D)Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support.

Question 16

A research study contains the following in its Introduction section: "This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia. Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support. The claim that massage increases total hours of sleep has been inadequately researched. Does massage increase the total number of hours of daily sleep? It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day. The study's causational explanation was based on the physiological matrix of McCarthy, which includes effects of endorphins on sleep, learning ability, pain, digestive function, and cardiac output. It was taken as established fact that massage is pleasant, that research subjects getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night were sleep-deprived, and that endorphins mediated the changes observed." Select the research question.

A)This study was undertaken to explore the effect of massage on total hours of sleep per 24-hour day, in persons averaging fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, attributable to insomnia.
B)It was posited that provision of daily late-morning massage would affect total hours of sleep per 24-hour day.
C)Does massage increase the total number of hours of daily sleep?
D)Presumably by increasing endorphin levels, massage seems to provide an immediate relaxation and an ability to sleep immediately following the session, but it is unclear whether these benefits actually extend to total sleep, despite anecdotal support.

Question 17

A researcher believes that adults can remember details about the first time they were taken on a camping trip, as 7-year-olds, and that the experiences of first camping are life-altering. What is a research term for these beliefs?

A)Hypotheses
B)Assumptions
C)Limitations
D)Variables

Question 18

A researcher conducting a study to examine linkages among age, gender, driver's license suspension, zip code, poverty, educational level, and income, sourced from the records of the State Department of Motor Vehicles, is using which type of research?

A)Descriptive research
B)Correlational research
C)Problem solving
D)Experimental

Question 19

Which one of the following items is different, when comparing probability sampling and nonprobability sampling?

A)The type of descriptive statistics applied to the sample
B)The size of the sample
C)The relative chance of being selected as a study participant
D)Whether or not the findings can be generalized

Question 20

A researcher undertakes a research study on the danger of bears in Yosemite Valley. What determines the researcher's selection of a research design?

A)The mentor the researcher chooses to support the study
B)Whether or not the researcher intends to generalize the findings
C)The researcher's expertise and comfort with the research process chosen
D)Whether the National Park Systems are funding the research
E)The study purpose and its anticipated outcomes
F)The body of research already present on bear danger

Question 21

A researcher conducts a pilot study before the main study is conducted. Why might the researcher choose to do this?

A)The researcher has no idea whether subjects will complete the various phases of the study.
B)The researcher needs to know how much of a change will occur in the dependent variable, so that sample size can be determined.
C)The researcher isn't sure whether the fourth phase of the study is really necessary.
D)The study site is a new one, and the researcher wants to find out whether it's suitable for this kind of research.e.The researcher has insufficient funding for a large study.
F)The researcher isn't sure whether the tool used to measure the dependent variable will be practical.
G)The researcher doesn't know whether subject recruitment will be a problem.

Question 22

The director of a major hospital complex conducts a study to discover the types of critical incidents that have occurred in this hospital and its sister hospital over the past 5 years. The director makes a list of every critical incident that has occurred over this period. Choose the true statements about this list.

A)The list is the dependent variable.
B)The list represents the hospital director's assumptions.
C)The items on the list include every critical incident that has occurred over the past 5 years.
D)The sample elements comprise the list.
E)If the two hospitals have been in operation only 5 years, the list contains both the sample elements and the accessible population.

Question 23

A marketing researcher reviews the month's sales slips for a convenience store, and compares them with restocking orders, in order to determine which products are being stolen from the shelves. This study has little control. Why is this the case?

A)The researcher has no control over whether people choose to shoplift.
B)It does not control for extraneous variables.
C)No variables are manipulated.
D)The design is descriptive or correlational; as compared with other types of research, control is low.
E)The data collected were actually generated by other people and may be erroneous.

Question 24

A researcher performs a study of how many nurses are assigned to a nursing floor on the basis of total square feet of the unit, correlating this with injury, fatigue, patient assignment, patient acuity, and length of employment. Which of the following are true regarding the type of quantitative data analysis used by the researcher?

A)The type of quantitative data analysis guides the study objectives and hypotheses.
B)The type of quantitative data analysis is determined by the type of data obtained-whether the data are ratio-level or nominal, for instance.
C)The type of quantitative data analysis determines the research design.
D)The type of quantitative data analysis should include some sort of numerical analysis.
E)The kind of data that will be collected is determined by the type of analysis chosen.

Question 25

What is applied research?

A)Research that has been applied in the past to practice
B)Research in which the results will be directly useful in clinical practice
C)Research usually conducted in the kind of setting in which it will be applied
D)Research that is conducted with paid volunteers
E)Research conducted to generate knowledge that will directly and indirectly influence or improve clinical practice