Ch.8 Exam 2 ?'s Flashcards
Which type of research design focuses on implementation of treatment by the researcher?
Experimental
A researcher administers a written test to evaluate knowledge of insulin administration and glucose monitoring to a group of subjects at annual intervals over the next decade. This is an example of which type of study design?
Longitudinal
A nurse researcher wishes to identify rates of pertussis infection in children less than 1 year of age and then again at 6 years of age to examine the relationship of immunization status on infection rates in this population. This is an example of which type of study design?
Correlational, longitudinal
Which statement is true about a descriptive study design?
this type of design is used to identify problems occurring in practice
A nurse conducts a study to see whether there are differences in the number of books Latino parents and the number of books African-American parents read to their toddlers each week. Which type of study will this researcher utilize?
comparative descriptive
A nurse researcher monitors women with breast cancer for depression before and throughout their chemotherapy treatment. This is an example of which type of study design?
Longitudinal
A researcher wishes to conduct a correlational study to determine whether there is a relationship between stress levels and relapse rates among patients who have chronic conditions. To determine the existence of a relationship between these two variables, the researcher will attempt to
obtain a large range of possible scores
if a researcher wishes to describe variables and to examine many relationships in a study, which type of study design will the researcher employ?
descriptive correlational
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?
predictive correlational
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?
model testing
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
identify multi-casual variables that may influence the outcome of glycemic control measures
Which statement is true about a cross-sectional design?
this design includes a time element that involves data collection on variables at one point in time
A study in which subjects are assigned by the researcher into experimental and control groups increases
bias
In a quasi-experimental study examining the effects of non-pharmacologic treatments on postoperative pain management, the researcher trains nursing staff so that all experimental group subjects receive the same types of treatments. This is an example of
Manipulation
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”?
multi-causality
A researcher conducts a quasi-experimental study to determine whether there is appropriate 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 critiquing the study notes that not all nurses completed the cue-based feeding module. This would affect which type of validity?
Statistical conclusion validity
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
construct validity
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. Which might be a threat to internal validity in this study?
some infants developed gastroenteritis
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 parents who gave consent to participate in the study were from a higher socioeconomic class than the population. This is a threat to
external validity
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
improve the test-retest reliability
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
intervention fidelity
A researcher wishes to conduct a study of a small number of subjects on a large hospital intensive care unit. To minimize problems associated with extraneous variables in the study setting, the researcher will
train a small number of nurses to administer the intervention
the 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
internal validity
An important measure to decrease threats to internal validity in an experimental study is to
random assign subjects to study groups
Which action will the researcher take to improve construct validity?
ensure that operational definitions reflect theoretical constructs
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
evaluate multiple sleep hygiene techniques
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?
external validity
To increase participation among potential subjects of a larger population, the researcher will
limit the time and effort required to participate in the study.
To attribute causality of a posttest measure in an experimental study, the independent variable
will be
administered to treatment group subjects
In a study to examine the effects of a newly modified anxiety-reducing nursing action on a group of subjects who have cancer, the control group will receive
the standard intervention
In a quasi-experimental study design, the group that receives standard care is usually referred to as the
comparison group
In a quasi-experimental study using a convenience sample of subjects from a local high
school, the researcher asks potential subjects to volunteer for placement in either a “low
sugar” diet program or a “regular sugar” diet program. this technique for assigning participation may compromise
internal validity
Which type of study is considered strongest for testing the effectiveness of an intervention?
randomized control trial (RCT)
Which statement is true about a quantitative research design?
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.
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
is designed to definitively test a hypothesis
Which of the following are true statements about randomized controlled trials (RCTs)? Select all that apply.
In a RCT design, participants are randomized to the intervention and control
groups to reduce selection bias.
RCTs, when appropriately conducted, are considered the gold standard for determining the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.
A nurse researcher understands that to critically appraise the RCTs reported in nursing journals, specific guidelines are followed. To assess the quality of RCTs reports, which of the following are accurate statements? Select all that apply.
Outcomes are measured consistently with quality measurement methods.
Study participants are drawn from a reference population through clearly defined
criteria.
The intervention is clearly described and consistently implemented.
Which of the following are true statements about external validity? Select all that apply.
External validity is concerned with the extent to which study findings can be
generalized beyond the sample used in the study.
Threats to external validity include interaction of selection and intervention, setting and intervention, and/or history and intervention.
