Question 1

Which of the following terms is applied to variability in test scores being attributed to error rather than to actual differences in behaviour?

Accepted Answer

A)  Random error 
B)  Variance error 
C)  Persistent error 
D)  Systematic error 
A)  Random error 
B)  Variance error 
C)  Persistent error 
D)  Systematic error

Question 2

The dimensions or components of a particular construct are determined by using a statistical technique to assess the degree to which the individual items on a scale truly cluster around one or more dimensions.Which of the following is the term used for this description?

Accepted Answer

A)  Factor analysis 
B)  Split-half reliability 
C)  Cronbach's alpha coefficient 
D)  Kuder-Richardson coefficient 
A)  Factor analysis 
B)  Split-half reliability 
C)  Cronbach's alpha coefficient 
D)  Kuder-Richardson coefficient

Question 3

The reliability coefficient of a new instrument designed to measure anxiety is established at 0.86.What is the correct interpretation of this finding?

Accepted Answer

A)  High error variance; high reliability 
B)  High error variance; low reliability 
C)  Low error variance; high reliability 
D)  Low error variance; low reliability 
A)  High error variance; high reliability 
B)  High error variance; low reliability 
C)  Low error variance; high reliability 
D)  Low error variance; low reliability

Question 4

A group of researchers developing an instrument performed a test-retest on the instrument with an interval of 5 days.This testing resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.38.The nurse researcher interprets this as being indicative of what?

Accepted Answer

A)  Instrument is stable; high reliability 
B)  Instrument is stable; low reliability 
C)  Instrument is unstable; high reliability 
D)  Instrument is unstable; low reliability 
A)  Instrument is stable; high reliability 
B)  Instrument is stable; low reliability 
C)  Instrument is unstable; high reliability 
D)  Instrument is unstable; low reliability

Question 5

A newly developed instrument is found to have a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82.The nurse researcher interprets this to mean what?

Accepted Answer

A)  The instrument has no internal consistency. 
B)  The instrument has a low degree of internal consistency. 
C)  The instrument has a moderate degree of internal consistency. 
D)  The instrument has a relatively high degree of internal consistency. 
A)  The instrument has no internal consistency. 
B)  The instrument has a low degree of internal consistency. 
C)  The instrument has a moderate degree of internal consistency. 
D)  The instrument has a relatively high degree of internal consistency.

Question 6

What type of validity is demonstrated by examining the extent to which a passing grade in a nursing course is correlated with passing the registered nurse licensure examination?

Accepted Answer

A)  Content validity 
B)  Construct validity 
C)  Predictive validity 
D)  Concurrent validity 
A)  Content validity 
B)  Construct validity 
C)  Predictive validity 
D)  Concurrent validity

Question 7

When validity of an instrument is determined,the nurse researcher assesses what?

Accepted Answer

A)  Stability 
B)  Variance 
C)  Accuracy 
D)  Precision 
A)  Stability 
B)  Variance 
C)  Accuracy 
D)  Precision

Question 8

Which criteria are used to judge a qualitative study's scientific rigor?

Accepted Answer

A)  Reality based 
B)  Credibility 
C)  Confidentiality of participants 
D)  Auditability 
E)  Record keeping
F) Fittingness 
A)  Reality based 
B)  Credibility 
C)  Confidentiality of participants 
D)  Auditability 
E)  Record keeping
F) Fittingness

Question 9

In testing an instrument consisting of 25 items for homogeneity using the "item-to-total" correlation,8 items were found to have a low correlation to the total.The nurse researcher interprets this information to mean that the researcher should do what?

Accepted Answer

A)  Use the instrument without changes. 
B)  Use the instrument only with a multitrait-multimethod approach. 
C)  Retain the 8 items with low correlation and delete the other 17 items. 
D)  Delete the 8 items with low correlation and retain the other 17 items. 
A)  Use the instrument without changes. 
B)  Use the instrument only with a multitrait-multimethod approach. 
C)  Retain the 8 items with low correlation and delete the other 17 items. 
D)  Delete the 8 items with low correlation and retain the other 17 items.

Question 10

A nurse researcher determines an instrument's homogeneity using which type of reliability?

Accepted Answer

A)  Split-half reliability 
B)  Test-retest reliability 
C)  Inter-rater reliability 
D)  Alternate-form reliability 
A)  Split-half reliability 
B)  Test-retest reliability 
C)  Inter-rater reliability 
D)  Alternate-form reliability

Question 11

Which measures used to test reliability are specific for homogeneity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Test-retest reliability 
B)  Item-to-total correlation 
C)  Parallel or alternate form 
D)  Split-half reliability 
E)  Kuder-Richardson coefficient
F) Cronbach's alpha
G) Inter-rater reliability 
A)  Test-retest reliability 
B)  Item-to-total correlation 
C)  Parallel or alternate form 
D)  Split-half reliability 
E)  Kuder-Richardson coefficient
F) Cronbach's alpha
G) Inter-rater reliability

Question 12

A new instrument has been determined to be highly valid.The nurse researcher should interpret this finding to mean what?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is sensitive but not specific. 
B)  Its use results in minimal random errors. 
C)  It accurately measures level of mentation. 
D)  Determination of inter-rater reliability is unnecessary. 
A)  It is sensitive but not specific. 
B)  Its use results in minimal random errors. 
C)  It accurately measures level of mentation. 
D)  Determination of inter-rater reliability is unnecessary.

Question 13

A nurse researcher should be concerned about an instrument's degree of internal consistency because it means what?

Accepted Answer

A)  The instrument is appropriate to measure a single concept. 
B)  The instrument has low measurement error and high error variance. 
C)  More refinement of the instrument is needed before it can be applied. 
D)  The instrument is valid, but the reliability has yet to be determined. 
A)  The instrument is appropriate to measure a single concept. 
B)  The instrument has low measurement error and high error variance. 
C)  More refinement of the instrument is needed before it can be applied. 
D)  The instrument is valid, but the reliability has yet to be determined.

Question 14

How should the nurse researcher describe variability in test scores attributed to error rather than to actual differences in behaviour?

Accepted Answer

A)  Random error 
B)  Variance error 
C)  Persistent error 
D)  Systematic error 
A)  Random error 
B)  Variance error 
C)  Persistent error 
D)  Systematic error

Question 15

The validity of a new instrument developed to measure peripheral neuropathy has been determined to be very high.What does this attribute mean?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is sensitive but not specific. 
B)  Its use results in minimal random errors. 
C)  It accurately measures peripheral neuropathy. 
D)  Determination of inte-rrater reliability is unnecessary. 
A)  It is sensitive but not specific. 
B)  Its use results in minimal random errors. 
C)  It accurately measures peripheral neuropathy. 
D)  Determination of inte-rrater reliability is unnecessary.

Question 16

Which type of validity is demonstrated when a nurse researcher submits items of an instrument to a panel of experts to evaluate item clarity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Content validity 
B)  Construct validity 
C)  Concurrent validity 
D)  Criterion-related validity 
A)  Content validity 
B)  Construct validity 
C)  Concurrent validity 
D)  Criterion-related validity

Question 17

What is being established when a researcher submits a few items to each of several concepts on an instrument? For example,a questionnaire on measuring depression has items on emotional and physical abuse.

Accepted Answer

A)  Content validity 
B)  Construct validity 
C)  Concurrent validity 
D)  Criterion-related validity 
A)  Content validity 
B)  Construct validity 
C)  Concurrent validity 
D)  Criterion-related validity

Question 18

What is the significance of concurrent validity to a nurse researcher?

Accepted Answer

A)  The degree of correlation between the measure of the concept and some future measure of the same concept 
B)  The degree of correlation between two measures of the same concept administered at the same time 
C)  The extent to which a test measures a theoretical construct or trait 
D)  The representativeness of items to measure a specific concept 
A)  The degree of correlation between the measure of the concept and some future measure of the same concept 
B)  The degree of correlation between two measures of the same concept administered at the same time 
C)  The extent to which a test measures a theoretical construct or trait 
D)  The representativeness of items to measure a specific concept

Question 19

A nurse researcher would want to use a Cronbach's alpha coefficient to establish the internal consistency of an instrument in which case?

Accepted Answer

A)  When questions are open-ended 
B)  When questions/statements demand a yes or no response 
C)  When the instrument uses a Likert-type response scale 
D)  When the instrument is designed to measure more than one concept 
A)  When questions are open-ended 
B)  When questions/statements demand a yes or no response 
C)  When the instrument uses a Likert-type response scale 
D)  When the instrument is designed to measure more than one concept

Question 20

Nurse researchers critiquing research reports should be concerned with the assessment of the validity and reliability of study instruments to do what?

Accepted Answer

A)  To determine the utility of the instruments for triangulation 
B)  To assess the relationships between hypotheses and research questions 
C)  To determine whether concepts and variables were measured adequately 
D)  To assess whether the concept under study is being treated as a dependent variable or an independent variable 
A)  To determine the utility of the instruments for triangulation 
B)  To assess the relationships between hypotheses and research questions 
C)  To determine whether concepts and variables were measured adequately 
D)  To assess whether the concept under study is being treated as a dependent variable or an independent variable

Which of the following terms is applied to variability in test scores being attributed to error rather than to actual differences in behaviour?

The dimensions or components of a particular construct are determined by using a statistical technique to assess the degree to which the individual items on a scale truly cluster around one or more dimensions.Which of the following is the term used for this description?

The reliability coefficient of a new instrument designed to measure anxiety is established at 0.86.What is the correct interpretation of this finding?

A group of researchers developing an instrument performed a test-retest on the instrument with an interval of 5 days.This testing resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.38.The nurse researcher interprets this as being indicative of what?

A newly developed instrument is found to have a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82.The nurse researcher interprets this to mean what?

What type of validity is demonstrated by examining the extent to which a passing grade in a nursing course is correlated with passing the registered nurse licensure examination?

When validity of an instrument is determined,the nurse researcher assesses what?

Which criteria are used to judge a qualitative study's scientific rigor?

In testing an instrument consisting of 25 items for homogeneity using the "item-to-total" correlation,8 items were found to have a low correlation to the total.The nurse researcher interprets this information to mean that the researcher should do what?

A nurse researcher determines an instrument's homogeneity using which type of reliability?

Which measures used to test reliability are specific for homogeneity?

A new instrument has been determined to be highly valid.The nurse researcher should interpret this finding to mean what?

A nurse researcher should be concerned about an instrument's degree of internal consistency because it means what?

How should the nurse researcher describe variability in test scores attributed to error rather than to actual differences in behaviour?

The validity of a new instrument developed to measure peripheral neuropathy has been determined to be very high.What does this attribute mean?

Which type of validity is demonstrated when a nurse researcher submits items of an instrument to a panel of experts to evaluate item clarity?

What is being established when a researcher submits a few items to each of several concepts on an instrument? For example,a questionnaire on measuring depression has items on emotional and physical abuse.

What is the significance of concurrent validity to a nurse researcher?

A nurse researcher would want to use a Cronbach's alpha coefficient to establish the internal consistency of an instrument in which case?

Nurse researchers critiquing research reports should be concerned with the assessment of the validity and reliability of study instruments to do what?

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

Introduction to Quantitative Research

Experimental and Quasiexperimental Designs

Non-Experimental Designs

Sampling

Data Collection Methods

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

Presenting the Findings

Critiquing Qualitative Research

Critiquing Quantitative Research

Developing an Evidence-Informed Practice

Filters

Exam 14: Rigour in Research

Which of the following terms is applied to variability in test scores being attributed to error rather than to actual differences in behaviour?

The dimensions or components of a particular construct are determined by using a statistical technique to assess the degree to which the individual items on a scale truly cluster around one or more dimensions.Which of the following is the term used for this description?

The reliability coefficient of a new instrument designed to measure anxiety is established at 0.86.What is the correct interpretation of this finding?

A group of researchers developing an instrument performed a test-retest on the instrument with an interval of 5 days.This testing resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.38.The nurse researcher interprets this as being indicative of what?

A newly developed instrument is found to have a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82.The nurse researcher interprets this to mean what?

What type of validity is demonstrated by examining the extent to which a passing grade in a nursing course is correlated with passing the registered nurse licensure examination?

When validity of an instrument is determined,the nurse researcher assesses what?

Which criteria are used to judge a qualitative study's scientific rigor?

In testing an instrument consisting of 25 items for homogeneity using the "item-to-total" correlation,8 items were found to have a low correlation to the total.The nurse researcher interprets this information to mean that the researcher should do what?

A nurse researcher determines an instrument's homogeneity using which type of reliability?

Which measures used to test reliability are specific for homogeneity?

A new instrument has been determined to be highly valid.The nurse researcher should interpret this finding to mean what?

A nurse researcher should be concerned about an instrument's degree of internal consistency because it means what?

How should the nurse researcher describe variability in test scores attributed to error rather than to actual differences in behaviour?

The validity of a new instrument developed to measure peripheral neuropathy has been determined to be very high.What does this attribute mean?

Which type of validity is demonstrated when a nurse researcher submits items of an instrument to a panel of experts to evaluate item clarity?

What is being established when a researcher submits a few items to each of several concepts on an instrument? For example,a questionnaire on measuring depression has items on emotional and physical abuse.

What is the significance of concurrent validity to a nurse researcher?

A nurse researcher would want to use a Cronbach's alpha coefficient to establish the internal consistency of an instrument in which case?

Nurse researchers critiquing research reports should be concerned with the assessment of the validity and reliability of study instruments to do what?

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

Introduction to Quantitative Research

Experimental and Quasiexperimental Designs

Non-Experimental Designs

Sampling

Data Collection Methods

Qualitative Data Analysis

Quantitative Data Analysis

Presenting the Findings

Critiquing Qualitative Research

Critiquing Quantitative Research

Developing an Evidence-Informed Practice

Filters