Question 1

A researcher who is developing a new instrument to measure pain has been informed that the instrument has face validity. The researcher's next step should be to do what?

Accepted Answer

A)   Use the instrument in a parent study.
B)   Use the instrument in a pilot study.
C)   Assess the reliability of the instrument.
D)   Assess the content validity of the instrument. D

Question 2

Which type of reliability exists when consistency of observation, measured by a correlation coefficient, is noted between two or more research assistants who record their observations of an event at the same time?

Accepted Answer

A)   Internal consistency
B)   Parallel forms
C)   Test-retest
D)   Interrater D

Question 3

A nurse researcher administered a test anxiety questionnaire to a group of nursing students before they attended a test anxiety workshop and then administered a different questionnaire to the same nurses immediately following the workshop. This is indicative of which type of reliability?

Accepted Answer

A)   Split-half
B)   Test-retest
C)   Parallel form
D)   Alternate form C

Question 4

How should the nurse researcher describe variability in test scores attributed to error rather than to actual differences in behavior? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

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

Question 5

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 the hypotheses and the research questions
C)   To determine whether the concepts and variables were measured adequately
D)   To assess whether the concept under study is being treated as a dependent or an independent variable

Question 6

Testing of a new instrument demonstrates that it has a high degree of internal consistency. What does this indicate to the nurse researcher?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 7

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 interrater reliability is unnecessary.

Question 8

The nurse researcher notes that the initial test for reliability of an instrument has been conducted on a sample that has different characteristics from those of the current study sample. The researcher should do what?

Accepted Answer

A)   Conduct a pilot study on the current sample to determine whether reliability is maintained.
B)   Use the instrument with the current sample because reliability holds across samples.
C)   Use the Kuder-Richardson formula to recalculate the reliability coefficient.
D)   Discard or reject the instrument.

Question 9

Which type of validity is demonstrated by administering a test in which all items relate to wound care, and then evaluating student performance in caring for patients with wounds in the clinical setting?

Accepted Answer

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

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)   Interrater reliability
D)   Alternate form reliability

Question 11

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.

Question 12

Which type of validity is most difficult to establish?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

When validity of an instrument is determined, the nurse researcher assesses what? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

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

Question 14

Which measures used to test reliability are specific for equivalence? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)   Test-retest reliability
B)   Item-to-total correlation
C)   Parallel or alternate form
D)   Split-half reliability
E)   Kuder-Richardson coefficientF)  Cronbach's alphaG)  Interrater reliability

Question 15

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 use 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 16

The nurse researcher notes that test-retest correlations were r = 0.79 when given over 4-week intervals. This is interpreted to indicate what?

Accepted Answer

A)   Equivalence
B)   Discriminability
C)   Reliability
D)   Homogeneity

Question 17

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

Question 18

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

Question 19

During development of an instrument to measure self-esteem, the nurse researcher administered the instrument to individuals who were substance abusers and to individuals who were not substance abusers and anticipated a significant difference in scores. This method of establishing construct validity is categorized as what?

Accepted Answer

A)   Factor analysis
B)   Convergent validity
C)   Discriminant validity
D)   Contrasted-groups approach

Question 20

A nurse researcher describes an instrument that produces the same result when it is administered to the same subjects under similar conditions on two or more occasions as possessing what?

Accepted Answer

A)   Homogeneity
B)   Equivalence
C)   Stability
D)   Validity

Exam 15: Reliability and Validity