Question 1

Multiple replications of an initial study conducted in different populations produce findings that do not match those in the initial study.The initial study may lack which type of validity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Construct validity 
B)  External validity 
C)  Internal validity 
D)  Statistical conclusion validity

Question 2

When using Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials (CONSORT)guidelines to critically appraise a randomized controlled trial (RCT),the nurse will make sure that the study

Accepted Answer

A)  is designed to definitively test a hypothesis. 
B)  is conducted in a laboratory to minimize setting bias. 
C)  uses subjects selected by the researcher for participation. 
D)  uses a descriptive or correlational design.

Question 3

A nurse researcher understands there are numerous concepts relevant to quantitative research designs.What concept best describes the following example,"Patient diagnosis,age,pre-surgical condition,and complications after surgery are interrelated causes of the length of patients' hospital stays"?

Accepted Answer

A)  Probability 
B)  Multicausality 
C)  Causality 
D)  Bias

Question 4

A nurse researcher conducts a study to determine whether women who breastfeed their infants experience better sleep in the first two postpartum months.This study will employ which type of research design?

Accepted Answer

A)  Correlational 
B)  Descriptive 
C)  Descriptive correlational 
D)  Predictive correlational

Question 5

A researcher conducts a quasi-experimental study to determine whether there is improved weight gain among premature infants who are fed according to cue-based protocols.The researcher trained neonatal intensive care nurses to apply cue-based feeding to orally fed infants and notes a statistical difference in weight gain between infants fed according to cue-based protocols and those fed according to standard protocols.The reviewer notes that components of cue-based feedings are not clearly identified.This is a threat to

Accepted Answer

A)  construct validity. 
B)  external validity. 
C)  internal validity. 
D)  statistical conclusion validity.

Question 6

Which type of research design focuses on implementation of a treatment by the researcher?

Accepted Answer

A)  Correlational 
B)  Descriptive 
C)  Experimental 
D)  Longitudinal

Question 7

Which statement is true about a quantitative research design?

Accepted Answer

A)  A research design is a blueprint for conducting a quantitative study that minimizes control over factors that could interfere with the validity of the findings. 
B)  A research design is a blueprint for conducting a quantitative study that minimizes control over factors that could interfere with the reliability of the findings. 
C)  A research design is a blueprint for conducting a quantitative study that maximizes control over factors that could interfere with the validity of the findings. 
D)  A research design is a blueprint for conducting a quantitative study that maximizes control over factors that could interfere with the reliability of the findings.

Question 8

A researcher wishes to study the effects of effective sleep hygiene on sleep quality and behavior among children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder.To minimize mono-operation bias,the researcher will

Accepted Answer

A)  accurately describe conceptual and operational definitions. 
B)  adequately discuss construct validity in the introduction. 
C)  evaluate multiple sleep hygiene techniques. 
D)  utilize a double-blind data collection methodology.

Question 9

To increase participation among potential subjects of a larger population,the researcher will

Accepted Answer

A)  limit the time and effort required to participate in the study. 
B)  provide demographic information about those who refuse to participate. 
C)  provide instruments that are detailed to increase the amount of data collected. 
D)  offer potential subjects a financial incentive to participate in the study.

Question 10

A researcher develops a 7-point Likert scale to evaluate feelings of well-being in patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.The researcher administers this measure to other similar patients in other medical centers.This is done to

Accepted Answer

A)  decrease mono-operation bias. 
B)  improve the test-retest reliability. 
C)  increase interrater reliability. 
D)  strengthen the operational definition of constructs.

Question 11

In a quasi-experimental study design,the group that receives standard care is usually referred to as the

Accepted Answer

A)  comparison group. 
B)  control group. 
C)  experimental group. 
D)  treatment group.

Question 12

A researcher reviews demographic characteristics of potential study subjects,such as age and gender,to determine whether these characteristics may influence the outcome of the study.This is done to help ensure

Accepted Answer

A)  construct validity. 
B)  external validity. 
C)  internal validity. 
D)  statistical conclusion validity.

Question 13

Which of the following are true statements about randomized controlled trials (RCTs)? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  The RCT design is noted to be the weakest methodology for testing the effectiveness of an intervention. 
B)  In a RCT design,participants are randomized to the intervention and control groups to reduce selection bias. 
C)  Blinding or withholding of study information from data collectors,participants,and their healthcare providers can enhance the potential for bias. 
D)  RCTs may be carried out in a single setting or in multiple geographic locations to decrease sample size and obtain a more representative sample. 
E)  RCTs,when appropriately conducted,are considered the gold standard for determining the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.

Question 14

In a research study,ambulatory clinic nurses teach children with asthma how to monitor peak expiratory flow volumes and how to use metered-dose inhalers to determine whether asthma control scores improve.The researcher discovers inconsistencies in how these measures were taught and how well the children understood the concepts.This represents a lack of

Accepted Answer

A)  control of extraneous variables. 
B)  internal validity. 
C)  intervention fidelity. 
D)  precision of measurement.

Question 15

A researcher theorizes a set of relationships among concepts used to describe why patients with chronic illness are often depressed.To test the accuracy of these hypothesized relationships,which type of study will be used?

Accepted Answer

A)  Descriptive correlational 
B)  Grounded theory 
C)  Model testing 
D)  Predictive correlational

Question 16

A researcher conducts a study to examine possible contributors to glycemic control in a group of subjects who have type 2 diabetes mellitus in a local community.A convenience sample of patients includes patients from 28 to 65 years old who range in weight from normal to obese,with time since diagnosis ranging from several months to several years.To determine causality in this study,the researcher will

Accepted Answer

A)  discuss outcomes in terms of the probability that education will improve glycemic control. 
B)  increase the manipulation of the independent variable to allow greater control by the researcher. 
C)  identify multicausal variables that may influence the outcome of glycemic control measures. 
D)  limit the study to younger persons only to minimize the effects of extraneous variables.

Exam 8: Clarifying Quantitative Research Designs