Research quiz questions

Which of the following was a result (or outcome) of this study? In other words, what did the researchers find out? Select one: a. A statistically significant decrease in the postintervention anxiety measure. b. Family members of patients who had preoperative hand massage had lower anxiety levels. c. Nurses who gave hand massages had increased anxiety levels. d. Postoperative patients who received hand massage had decreased length of stay in the hospital.

a. A statistically significant decrease in the postintervention anxiety measure.

A researcher is interested in describing and summarizing the characteristics of the sample used in the study. To do this, the researcher will use: Select one: a. Descriptive statistics b. Mathematical statistics c. Inferential statistics d. Nonparametric statistics

a. Descriptive statistics

Which of the following are characteristic of the data in qualitative research? The data is: Select one: a. In text form b. Used to show relationships between variables c. Free of patterns

a. In text form

Which of the following elements would the nurse expect to find in an article describing a qualitative study? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Select one or more: a. Participant quotes b. Statistical procedures c. Themes d. Independent variable e. A hypothesis

a. Participant quotes c. Themes

Which qualitative approach would be most appropriate for a nurse researcher to use when studying the daily experience of women undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer? Select one: a. Phenomenology b. Case Study c. Ethnography d. Grounded theory

a. Phenomenology

How is the number of subjects for participation determined for a qualitative study? Select one: a. The level of significance, or p value, is set and determined the number of subjects required. b. The number of subjects is based on the number of subjects who are available in a given location. c. Data are collected from new subjects until data saturation is reached. d. A power analysis of data collected in a pilot study is used to determine the number of subjects needed.

c. Data are collected from new subjects until data saturation is reached

External validity refers to which of these issues? Select one: a. The relationship existing between the independent and the study outcomes. b. The degree to which findings are generalizable to populations beyond those studied. c. The degree to which extraneous or mediating variables interfere with the study outcomes. d. The influence of a specific event on the independent variable.

b. The degree to which findings are generalizable to populations beyond those studied.

What is the overall purpose of the research design in a quantitative study? Select one: a. To identify the problem statement. b. To provide the plan for answering the research questions. c. To determine the sample size for the study. d. To assist the researcher in identifying gaps in the scientific knowledge base.

b. To provide the plan for answering the research questions.

A dependent variable is: Select one: a. A variable that has an effect on another variable b. What the is measured to determine if there is a change during the research study c. Manipulated by the researchers d. An intervention Feedback

b. What the is measured to determine if there is a change during the research study

Which of the following study designs indicates the highest level of evidence? Select one: a. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) b. A quasi-experimental study c. A meta-analysis d. A case study

c. A meta-analysis

How should a nurse researcher expect a sample to differ from a population? Select one: a. A population has a narrow set of defining characteristics, and a sample has a broad set of defining characteristics. b. A well-designed sampling method will ensure that the sample has a different set of characteristics from a population. c. A sample is a representative segment of a defined population. d. A sample can mean objectives or events, and a population refers to individuals or groups.

c. A sample is a representative segment of a defined population.

Which of the following is a dependent variable in the Brand et al. (2013) article? Select one: a. Hand massage b. Music therapy c. Anxiety d. Ambulatory surgery patients

c. Anxiety

Which ethical principle is maintained when the subject's identity cannot be linked, even by the researcher, with his or her individual responses in a research study? Select one: a. Nonmalfecence b. Beneficence c. Confidentiality d. Justice

c. Confidentiality

A nurse researcher is planning to write a proposal for a research study using a quantitative design. Which of the following would be likely to reduce control in the study? Select one: a. Use psychometric tools with established reliability and validity. b. Standardize data collection processes. c. Encourage the researcher's family members to participate in the study. d. Use trained data collectors.

c. Encourage the researcher's family members to participate in the study.

The nurse researcher designed a study examining anxiety among elementary school children. If a widely publicized murder of a child occurred in the city during the time frame of the study, what type of threat to internal validity would the murder represent? Select one: a. Instrumentation b. Selection bias c. Historical d. Maturation Feedback

c. Historical

What level of evidence is a quasi-experimental design? Select one: a. Level 1 b. Level 2 c. Level 3 d. Level 4

c. Level 3

Which of the following is an example of nominal level data? Select one: a. Weight b. Test scores c. Marital status d. Educational level

c. Marital status

The researcher's data set contains extremes of both high and low scores. The measure of central tendency that should be used in order to be least affected by extremes of high and low scores is: Select one: a. Mode b. Median c. Mean d. Percentile

c. Mean

Which term represents the most frequent score in a frequency distribution? Select one: a. Mean b. Median c. Mode d. Percentile

c. Mode

The results section of a research article includes which of the following? Select one: a. Describes the study design b. Examines the theory supporting the study hypothesis c. Reports data regarding the dependent variable d. Describes instruments used in the study

c. Reports data regarding the dependent variable

A researcher develops a questionnaire to understand hope in patients diagnosed with cancer. She has newly diagnosed cancer patients take the questionnaire at Hospital A and at Hospital B. She then compares the results statistically. She is attempting to establish which of the following? Select one: a. Face validity b. Internal consistency c. Test-retest reliability d. Construct validity

c. Test-retest reliability

The nurse researcher's data includes a score reported to be in the 75th percentile. This indicates that: Select one: a. The score represents the average of all scores measured at this time b. The score has exceeded the mode c. The score is exceeded by only 25% of cases d. The score is at the median

c. The score is exceeded by only 25% of cases

Why would a researcher assign subjects randomly in a study? Select one: a. To increase the chance that the study group and control group will be different from each other at baseline. b. To help ensure that current events do not influence the outcomes of the study. c. To help ensure that all groups within a study are representative of the larger population. d. To eliminate the need to establish eligibility criteria for participants. Feedback

c. To help ensure that all groups within a study are representative of the larger population.

An independent variable is: Select one: a. Not manipulated by the researchers b. The result of the research study c. What stays the same once the study starts, like the intervention or a pre-existing condition d. What the researchers assume will change after their intervention

c. What stays the same once the study starts, like the intervention or a pre-existing condition

From the reference list on page 717 of the Brand et al. (2013) article, what number is the reference for the theoretical framework used in this study? Select one: a. 20 b. 9 c. 16 d. 21

d. 21

Which title suggests an ethnographic study? Select one: a. The challenge of retaining femininity after mastectomy b. The lived experience of breast cancer in postmenopausal women c. The experience of teens and parents receiving cancer prevention patient education materials d. The phenomenon of breast self-examination in among African American women

d. The phenomenon of breast self-examination in among African American women

A nurse researcher would choose to use a correlational study of multiple variables for which purpose? Select one: a. To test whether one variable causes another variable b. To distinguish how different one variable is from another variable c. To identify the independent variable d. To example the relationship between or among variables

d. To example the relationship between or among variables

Which of the following is not a typical component of a research article? Select one: a. Results b. Methods c. Background (or Introduction) d. Abstract e. Practice f. Conclusions

e. Practice

What research design is used in the article by Brand, Munroe, & Gavin (2013)? Select one: a. Longitudinal cohort study b. Quasi-experimental study: With pretest posttest evaluatons and nonrandom assignment c. Experimental study: Randomized controlled trial d. Cross-sectional study

b. Quasi-experimental study: With pretest posttest evaluatons and nonrandom assignment

The results of a particular study indicate that a t-test was performed to assess if the use of a standardized education program to prevent shaken baby syndrome (SBS) reduced the number of cases of children admitted after suffering from being shaken. Select the statement below that best interprets these results: Education group: n=64,205 Non-education group: n=74,504 Number of cases of SBS (t=2.38, p=0.03) Note: These are made up results. Select one: a. The education program was effective with a statistically significant difference between groups. b. The study results are invalid due to the risk of type II error. c. The study showed that the educational program was not effective. d. The study group sowed a difference between groups, but the p value shows that the results are not significant.

a. The education program was effective with a statistically significant difference between groups.

When reading a report of a qualitative study, the nurse finds direct quotes from the participants threaded through the narrative. In this instance: Select one: a. The researcher is supporting the study's findings. b. The technique violates the privacy rules for participants in the study. c. The researcher is attempting to make the report more personal. d. The technique ensures that the proper level of data saturation was achieved.

a. The researcher is supporting the study's findings.

A nurse reviews the results of a study on the effects of the relationship between childhood obesity and several variables. Based on the following results, what would be appropriate for the nurse to include in an education session on childhood obesity? Select all that apply. Having a biological parent with a BMI> 31, r=0.3, p=0.04 Stress level, r=0.1, p=0.6 Aerobic exercise 3 times or more a week, r=-0.7, p=0.01 Fed breast milk in the first 6 months of life, r=-0.3, p=0.08 Note: These are made up results. Select one or more: a. There is an association between parental obesity and childhood obesity. b. Mothers should breastfeed infants for at least 6 months because it is protective against obesity. c. Exercising at least 3 times per week may be protective against obesity. d. Children with overweight parents will be overweight themselves. e. Stress is correlated with childhood obesity.

a. There is an association between parental obesity and childhood obesity. c. Exercising at least 3 times per week may be protective against obesity.

True or False: Accepting the null hypothesis means you reject the research hypothesis. Select one: a. True b. False

a. True

Which description is typical of a qualitative study? Select one: a. Truth is a subject's perception of reality. b. The sample size is determined prior to the start of the study. c. Results are typically stated in numerical form. d. Deductive reasoning is used.

a. Truth is a subject's perception of reality.

Which of the following research topics would most likely be studied through a qualitative design? Select one: a. What is the meaning of health and health promotion among low-income, Southern, rural women? b. What is the relationship between perceived risk and willingness to interact with individuals with HIV/AIDS in older adults diagnosed with HIV/AIDS? c. Is there a change in measures of hope and coping in adults over 65 after completing rehabilitation from a hip fracture? d. What are the effects of exercise on fatigue rate and level of emotional distress in patients undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer?

a. What is the meaning of health and health promotion among low-income, Southern, rural women?

Which criteria are used to judge the trustworthiness of a qualitative study? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Select one or more: a. Disposability b. Confirmability c. Credibility d. Coagulability e. Authenticity

b. Confirmability c. Credibility e. Authenticity

A researcher develops a questionnaire to measure hope in patients diagnosed with cancer. She gives the new questionnaire to a colleague to review who is an expert in studying hope in cancer patients. The researcher is trying to establish: Select one: a. Content validity b. Construct validity c. Test-retest reliability d. Criterion-related validity Feedback

b. Construct validity Probably the answer not sure

True or False: The article by Brand et al. (2013) is an example of a secondary source. Select one: a. True b. False

b. False

A nurse researcher is interested in estimating how reliably data can be used to generalize the findings of a study. In order for this to occur, the researcher should use: Select one: a. Descriptive statistics b. Inferential statistics c. Mathematical statistics d. Nonparametric statistics

b. Inferential statistics

The nurse researcher is conducting a qualitative research study using one participant who will be interviewed regarding her experience with postpartum depression. What is the rationale for using a qualitative instead of quantitative study design in this case? Select one: a. Quantitative research is usually conducted in natural settings using data that are words rather than numbers. b. Qualitative research seeks to understand meaning, allowing for in-depth understanding of an experience or phenomenon. c. Quantitative research typically uses a convenience sample, seeking to answer a clinical question about a human experience. d. Qualitative research seeks to explain cause-and-effect relationships between variables.

b. Qualitative research seeks to understand meaning, allowing for in-depth understanding of an experience or phenomenon.