Deck 10: Sampling

Question 1

The nurse researcher opts to use probability sampling in a research study.What is considered to be the primary characteristic of a probability sample?

A) Self-selection of subjects
B) Random selection of the sample
C) Subjects handpicked by the researcher
D) Representation of proportional segments of the population

Answer 1

Random selection of the sample

Question 2

What would be an appropriate rationale for a nurse researcher to exclude subjects who have diabetes mellitus,are older than age 60 years,or who are HIV positive from a descriptive study examining the characteristics of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy?

A) Mortality as a threat to validity is increased when including subjects with multiple health problems.
B) The exclusion conditions are also associated with the development of peripheral neuropathy.
C) The researcher has limited resources to conduct the study.
D) The researcher has all of the exclusion characteristics.

Answer 2

The exclusion conditions are also associated with the development of peripheral neuropathy.

Question 3

Why would a nurse researcher opt to use a stratified sample in a research study?

A) The sample population is divided into subsets that are homogeneous for a particular trait or feature.
B) The sample population is divided into subsets for random assignment into an intervention or a usual-care group.
C) The sample population is randomly assigned to a specific subgroup that will vary from the others on the basis of type of treatment.
D) The sample population is randomly assigned to a specific subgroup that will vary from the others on the basis of treatment duration.

Answer 3

The sample population is divided into subsets that are homogeneous for a particular trait or feature.

Question 4

The nurse researcher is attempting to formulate the basis for eligibility criteria in sample selection.Which statement will be most accurate?

A) A sample of 1,000 practicing nurses in a selected state was surveyed.
B) The sample consisted of 267 white girls and 258 Hispanic girls who lived in urban areas in their respective countries.
C) The sample consisted of 40 men between the ages of 20 and 55 who were treated for burn injuries during the past decade at a specialized burn unit.
D) The sample consisted of 57 hospital nurse executives and 178 staff registered nurses employed in a Midwestern state.

Question 5

Why would a nurse researcher hesitate to use nonprobability sampling?

A) Reduced or limited generalizability
B) Informed consent must be obtained
C) Large, unmanageable sample sizes
D) Sample sizes are too small for most methods of statistical analysis

Question 6

The nurse researcher opts to select into the treatment group every fourth college student who registers for a specific course.What type of sampling strategy does this represent?

A) Cluster sampling
B) Systematic sampling
C) Simple random sampling
D) Stratified random sampling

Question 7

How can a nurse researcher tell the difference in an accessible population and a target population?

A) The accessible population meets the inclusion criteria, and the target population meets the exclusion criteria.
B) The target population meets the inclusion criteria, and the accessible population meets the exclusion criteria.
C) The accessible population represents the entire set of cases the researcher wishes to study, and the target population represents that part of the accessible population that could feasibly be included in the study.
D) The target population represents the entire set of cases the researcher wishes to study, and the accessible population represents that part of the target population that could feasibly be included in the study.

Question 8

Which statement about systematic sampling is most accurate?

A) It reduces researcher bias.
B) It eliminates the need for a control group.
C) It can be used for nonprobability sampling.
D) It represents the sampling method with the most rigid eligibility criteria.

Question 9

Which type of sampling is most at risk for sample bias?

A) Quota
B) Random
C) Purposive
D) Convenience

Question 10

The nurse researcher is developing inclusion and exclusion criteria.Which statement is most accurate?

A) These criteria are not needed when the population being studied is composed of events.
B) These criteria serve to ensure that the characteristics of the sample and the population are congruent.
C) Inclusion criteria are used to define the independent variables, and exclusion criteria are used to define dependent variables.
D) Inclusion criteria are used to define the dependent variables, and exclusion criteria are used to define independent variables.

Question 11

What tool can a nurse researcher use to restrict the study population to homogeneous groups of subjects?

A) Sampling
B) Self-selection
C) Eligibility criteria
D) Defining study limitations

Question 12

The nurse researcher is designing a research study.What is considered the process of selecting representative units of a population for study in a research investigation?

A) Sampling
B) Snowballing
C) Delimination
D) Random assignment

Question 13

How can a nurse researcher know whether a factor or condition of a sample meets the criterion for representativeness?

A) The sample is drawn randomly from the general population without the use of specific criteria.
B) The characteristics of the sample closely resemble the characteristics of the larger target population.
C) The sample includes the same percentage of men, women, and members of different ethnic groups as the general population.
D) The subjects selected for the sample have agreed to express the specific opinions or beliefs representative of their ethnic or cultural group.

Question 14

In a study to determine whether placement on a water pillow affects head shape in preterm infants,the first 50 preterm infants admitted to a newborn intensive care unit during a specific year were assigned to either a usual-care group or a treatment group placed on water pillows.What type of sampling strategy is represented by this research plan?

A) Quota
B) Random
C) Purposive
D) Stratified

Question 15

How can the nurse researcher know that a sample is representative of a population?

A) The sample is homogeneous.
B) All units of a population are included.
C) The most readily accessible persons are used as subjects.
D) The characteristics of the sample closely approximate those of the population.

Question 16

Why should a nurse researcher attempt to clearly specify exclusion criteria for a study sample?

A) To limit the time needed to complete the study
B) To reduce the effect of extraneous variables on the accurate evaluation of the outcome variable
C) To eliminate the outside influences and inferences regarding the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention
D) To ensure that an adequate sample size is accrued to meet assumptions for accurate statistical analysis

Question 17

The recruitment goal for subjects in a research study is set at 1,000 participants aged 20 to 30,600 participants aged 31 to 40,and 200 participants aged 41 to 50.What type of sampling strategy is represented by this research plan?

A) Quota
B) Random
C) Purposive
D) Convenience

Question 18

How should a nurse researcher expect a sample to differ from a population?

A) A sample can mean objects or events, whereas population refers to individuals or groups of people.
B) A population has a broad set of defining characteristics, and a sample has a narrow set of defining characteristics.
C) A population is a representative segment of a defined sample.
D) A sample is a representative segment of a defined population.

Question 19

Why should a nurse researcher be concerned about establishing clear eligibility criteria for inclusion in a study sample?

A) To increase the homogeneity of the sample
B) To decrease the homogeneity of the sample
C) To increase the size of the sample
D) To decrease the size of the sample

Question 20

A nurse researcher has made a generalization based on the experience of a small number of participants.What will be the outcome of this action?

A) The small sample will invalidate the hypotheses.
B) The researcher will be unable to eliminate his or her bias.
C) The data obtained from a small number will inadequately represent the phenomenon.
D) The small number of participants will increase the threat to internal validity influenced by history.

Question 21

A nurse researcher is critiquing a nursing research study and reads the following description: "Five hundred randomly selected hospital patients were obtained; every tenth subject was selected for a group of 50." Which characteristics most accurately describe this sampling approach? (Select all that apply.)

A) Nonprobability sampling
B) Quota sampling
C) Probability sampling
D) Systematic sampling
E) Convenience sampling

Question 22

Why should a nurse researcher be particularly concerned about having a small sample size?

A) There is increased risk of obtaining a nonrepresentative sample.
B) There is increased risk of a study subject interacting with another study subject.
C) There is increased potential for loss of confidentiality.
D) There is increased regression toward the mean.

Question 23

The nurse researcher is deciding on a sampling strategy for the research study.Which type(s)of strategies would be considered to be probability sampling strategies? (Select all that apply).

A) Convenience
B) Quota
C) Simple random
D) Cluster
E) Purposive
F) Stratified random

Question 24

The nurse researcher is attempting to determine whether a study is replicable.What factors should be considered when determining this? (Select all that apply)

A) Sampling strategy used
B) Cost of sampling approach selected
C) Demographic characteristics of the sample
D) Inclusion criteria
E) Ethical consequences of recruiting subjects for the study
F) Exclusion criteria
G) Screening and enrollment protocol

Question 25

How can a nurse researcher most accurately use the technique of power analysis?

A) To estimate sample size
B) To establish sampling strata
C) To assign subjects randomly
D) To analyze sample representativeness

Question 26

A researcher is establishing the processes for developing a sample for an upcoming research study.In order from largest to smallest,which components of sampling concepts will the researcher consider?
A.Target population
B.Accessible population
C.Sample
D.Population
E.Element

A) a, b, c, d, e
B) e, d, c, b, a
C) d, a, b, c, e
D) b, c, a, e, d

Question 27

The nurse researcher selects matching as a technique in a research study.What does the technique of matching in a sampling strategy contribute to the research?

A) Improved study design
B) Elimination of the need for a control group
C) Increased equivalency of the comparison group
D) Reduced sample size by allowing subjects to serve as their own controls

Question 28

A nurse researcher is critiquing a research study on hospital safety.The researcher notes a sample description that states,"From a list of 5,000 randomly selected acute care hospitals,the population was stratified by number of beds and academic affiliation … ." Which terms most accurately describe this approach? (Select all that apply.)

A) Probability sampling
B) Purposive sampling
C) Multistage sampling
D) Stratified random sampling
E) Quota sampling

Question 29

What factors should a nurse researcher consider when determining a proposed quantitative sample size? (Select all that apply.)

A) Type of design used
B) Personal preference
C) Type of sampling procedure used
D) Data saturation
E) Projected costs of sampling strategy

Question 30

Which statement regarding sample size is most accurate?

A) Studies with smaller sample sizes have more accurate results.
B) Studies with smaller sample sizes are more likely to be representative of the target population.
C) Studies with larger sample sizes have more accurate results.
D) Studies with larger sample sizes are more likely to be representative of the target population.

Question 31

A nurse researcher is planning a study about a highly unusual,rare genetic condition.Which sampling approach would the researcher most likely incorporate?

A) Purposive
B) Probability
C) Stratified
D) Quota

Question 32

The nurse researcher is attempting to develop a purposive sampling strategy as part of a research study.What criteria will be used to determine whether the strategy is purposive? (Select all that apply).

A) Validation of scale with a known-group technique
B) Focus of study population relates to specific diagnosis.
C) Focus of study population relates to broad, general topic.
D) Effective posttesting of instruments
E) Collection of exploratory data
F) Collection of descriptive data

Question 33

What are types of nonprobability of sampling? (Select all that apply.)

A) Purposive
B) Quota
C) Stratified random
D) Multistage (cluster)
E) Convenience

Question 34

The researcher used word of mouth to accrue a sample of participants.What is the most accurate description of this technique?

A) Referral
B) Networking
C) Recruitment
D) Quasi-probability

Question 35

How can the nurse researcher most accurately determine sample size?

A) Consider the stamina of the researcher in data collection
B) Consider the importance of the independent variable
C) Consider the age of the potential subjects
D) Consider the design of the study

Question 36

When could a nurse researcher justify excluding subjects on the basis of gender?

A) When the study topic is sexually explicit or sexually sensitive
B) When the study phenomenon occurs within only one gender
C) When the accessible population in a geographic area is composed largely of one gender
D) When the issue of subject confidentiality must be strictly enforced

Question 37

What is the appropriate sampling interval for drawing a systematic sample of 25 subjects who had a mastectomy from 200 subjects who had that surgery during 1 year at a specific hospital?

A) Every fourth patient
B) Every fifth patient
C) Every eighth patient
D) Every tenth patient

Question 38

How should a research consumer evaluate sample size in a research report?

A) By asking how many assistants were involved in data collection
B) By asking how representative the sample is relative to the target population
C) By asking how great the outcome difference is between or among study groups
D) By asking how many previous studies the researcher has conducted before on similar topics