Question 1

A nurse researcher assigns half a study sample to an experimental group and the other half to a control group.What does this action represent?

Accepted Answer

A)  Instrumentation of the independent variable 
B)  Manipulation of the mediating variable 
C)  Elimination of the mediating variable 
D)  Manipulation of the independent variable 
A)  Instrumentation of the independent variable 
B)  Manipulation of the mediating variable 
C)  Elimination of the mediating variable 
D)  Manipulation of the independent variable

Question 2

A researcher wants to study the effects of head injury in children under the age of 5 years on mothers' decisions to work outside of the home.Which of the following factors negatively affects the feasibility of this study?

Accepted Answer

A)  The local region has a high percentage of single-parent families. 
B)  Head injuries in children under age 5 represented less than 1% of hospital admissions during the year previous to the study. 
C)  Children under the age of 5 years are not able to read, write, or give direct informed consent to participate in this study. 
D)  A comprehensive review of the literature shows no studies that examined this question were conducted during the past 15 years. 
A)  The local region has a high percentage of single-parent families. 
B)  Head injuries in children under age 5 represented less than 1% of hospital admissions during the year previous to the study. 
C)  Children under the age of 5 years are not able to read, write, or give direct informed consent to participate in this study. 
D)  A comprehensive review of the literature shows no studies that examined this question were conducted during the past 15 years.

Question 3

A nurse researcher can control for selection bias in a study by taking which of these actions?

Accepted Answer

A)  Allow participants to self-select into an experimental or a control group. 
B)  Handpick the participants for group assignment. 
C)  Use defined selection criteria for approaching potential participants. 
D)  Have someone other than the researcher select the participants for the study. 
A)  Allow participants to self-select into an experimental or a control group. 
B)  Handpick the participants for group assignment. 
C)  Use defined selection criteria for approaching potential participants. 
D)  Have someone other than the researcher select the participants for the study.

Question 4

For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher choose to assign participants randomly to groups in a study?

Accepted Answer

A)  To help ensure that all groups within a study are representative of the larger population 
B)  To increase the chance that the study groups will be different from each other with regard to extraneous variables 
C)  To help ensure that current events do not influence the outcomes of the study 
D)  To eliminate the need for establishing specific study criteria and participant eligibility 
A)  To help ensure that all groups within a study are representative of the larger population 
B)  To increase the chance that the study groups will be different from each other with regard to extraneous variables 
C)  To help ensure that current events do not influence the outcomes of the study 
D)  To eliminate the need for establishing specific study criteria and participant eligibility

Question 5

Which of these situations describes a reactive (Hawthorne)effect?

Accepted Answer

A)  Control participants in an intervention study to reduce anxiety also experience a reduction in anxiety. 
B)  The participants in an intervention support group continue the support group after the study has ended. 
C)  Participants become concerned after learning that they received a placebo, not the treatment, during the study. 
D)  Study participants want to know the outcomes of the study after it is completed. 
A)  Control participants in an intervention study to reduce anxiety also experience a reduction in anxiety. 
B)  The participants in an intervention support group continue the support group after the study has ended. 
C)  Participants become concerned after learning that they received a placebo, not the treatment, during the study. 
D)  Study participants want to know the outcomes of the study after it is completed.

Question 6

The issue of control would be less important in a quantitative study with which type of research design?

Accepted Answer

A)  Exploratory 
B)  Experimental 
C)  Correlational 
D)  Randomized clinical trial 
A)  Exploratory 
B)  Experimental 
C)  Correlational 
D)  Randomized clinical trial

Question 7

What is the overall purpose of research design in a quantitative research study?

Accepted Answer

A)  To determine sample size 
B)  To identify the problem statement 
C)  To provide a plan for answering the research question 
D)  To assist the researcher in identifying gaps in the knowledge base 
A)  To determine sample size 
B)  To identify the problem statement 
C)  To provide a plan for answering the research question 
D)  To assist the researcher in identifying gaps in the knowledge base

Question 8

Why is the administration of a pretest a cause for concern in a research study?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a threat to internal validity, as it may affect the posttest results. 
B)  It is a threat to external validity, as it 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. 
A)  It is a threat to internal validity, as it may affect the posttest results. 
B)  It is a threat to external validity, as it 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.

Question 9

A study is examining the effect of a new antilipemic drug,compared with placebo,on lipoprotein levels in postmenopausal women.Which of these actions represents the researcher's attempt at constancy in data collection to control extraneous variables?

Accepted Answer

A)  Drawing the serum lipoprotein levels of all participants at the same time of day 
B)  Having the same phlebotomist draw serum lipoprotein levels of all participants 
C)  Using the same room for drawing blood for lipoprotein levels of all participants 
D)  Ensuring that all participants are postmenopausal women taking lipid-lowering medication 
A)  Drawing the serum lipoprotein levels of all participants at the same time of day 
B)  Having the same phlebotomist draw serum lipoprotein levels of all participants 
C)  Using the same room for drawing blood for lipoprotein levels of all participants 
D)  Ensuring that all participants are postmenopausal women taking lipid-lowering medication

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

A)  Use eligibility criteria to limit extraneous variables relevant to the study. 
B)  Randomly assign participants to either the experimental or the control group. 
C)  Assign one research assistant to collect data from all participants. 
D)  Collect data from all participants at the same time of day. 
A)  Use eligibility criteria to limit extraneous variables relevant to the study. 
B)  Randomly assign participants to either the experimental or the control group. 
C)  Assign one research assistant to collect data from all participants. 
D)  Collect data from all participants at the same time of day.

Question 11

A nursing student is reviewing a research study in which researchers used a pretest/posttest design to examine the effect of an AIDS education intervention on teenagers' knowledge about the condition over a school year.What threats to internal validity could be present?

Accepted Answer

A)  Maturation 
B)  Selection effects 
C)  Reactivity 
D)  Hawthorne effect 
E)  Testing 
A)  Maturation 
B)  Selection effects 
C)  Reactivity 
D)  Hawthorne effect 
E)  Testing

Question 12

Which situation represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of a videotape of discharge instructions for patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)surgery?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both men and women undergoing CABG surgery were included as participants in the study. 
B)  Two new surgeons began performing CABG surgery during the study period. 
C)  Patients in the experimental group discussed aspects of the videotape with patients in the control group. 
D)  Data collection for the videotape and control groups took 1 year. 
A)  Both men and women undergoing CABG surgery were included as participants in the study. 
B)  Two new surgeons began performing CABG surgery during the study period. 
C)  Patients in the experimental group discussed aspects of the videotape with patients in the control group. 
D)  Data collection for the videotape and control groups took 1 year.

A nurse researcher assigns half a study sample to an experimental group and the other half to a control group.What does this action represent?

A researcher wants to study the effects of head injury in children under the age of 5 years on mothers' decisions to work outside of the home.Which of the following factors negatively affects the feasibility of this study?

A nurse researcher can control for selection bias in a study by taking which of these actions?

For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher choose to assign participants randomly to groups in a study?

Which of these situations describes a reactive (Hawthorne)effect?

The issue of control would be less important in a quantitative study with which type of research design?

What is the overall purpose of research design in a quantitative research study?

Why is the administration of a pretest a cause for concern in a research study?

A study is examining the effect of a new antilipemic drug,compared with placebo,on lipoprotein levels in postmenopausal women.Which of these actions represents the researcher's attempt at constancy in data collection to control extraneous variables?

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

A nursing student is reviewing a research study in which researchers used a pretest/posttest design to examine the effect of an AIDS education intervention on teenagers' knowledge about the condition over a school year.What threats to internal validity could be present?

Which situation represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of a videotape of discharge instructions for patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)surgery?

The Role of Research in Nursing

Theoretical Framework

Critical Reading Strategies: Overview of the Research Process

Developing Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Clinical Questions

Finding and Appraising the Literature

Legal and Ethical Issues

Introduction to Qualitative Research

Qualitative Approaches to Research

Experimental and Quasiexperimental Designs

Non-Experimental Designs

Sampling

Data Collection Methods

Rigour in Research

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

Presenting the Findings

Critiquing Qualitative Research

Critiquing Quantitative Research

Developing an Evidence-Informed Practice

Filters

Exam 9: Introduction to Quantitative Research

A nurse researcher assigns half a study sample to an experimental group and the other half to a control group.What does this action represent?

A researcher wants to study the effects of head injury in children under the age of 5 years on mothers' decisions to work outside of the home.Which of the following factors negatively affects the feasibility of this study?

A nurse researcher can control for selection bias in a study by taking which of these actions?

For which of these reasons would a nurse researcher choose to assign participants randomly to groups in a study?

Which of these situations describes a reactive (Hawthorne)effect?

The issue of control would be less important in a quantitative study with which type of research design?

What is the overall purpose of research design in a quantitative research study?

Why is the administration of a pretest a cause for concern in a research study?

A study is examining the effect of a new antilipemic drug,compared with placebo,on lipoprotein levels in postmenopausal women.Which of these actions represents the researcher's attempt at constancy in data collection to control extraneous variables?

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

A nursing student is reviewing a research study in which researchers used a pretest/posttest design to examine the effect of an AIDS education intervention on teenagers' knowledge about the condition over a school year.What threats to internal validity could be present?

Which situation represents a threat to internal validity in an experimental study measuring the effect of a videotape of discharge instructions for patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)surgery?

The Role of Research in Nursing

Theoretical Framework

Critical Reading Strategies: Overview of the Research Process

Developing Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Clinical Questions

Finding and Appraising the Literature

Legal and Ethical Issues

Introduction to Qualitative Research

Qualitative Approaches to Research

Experimental and Quasiexperimental Designs

Non-Experimental Designs

Sampling

Data Collection Methods

Rigour in Research

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

Presenting the Findings

Critiquing Qualitative Research

Critiquing Quantitative Research

Developing an Evidence-Informed Practice

Filters