Research Test 1 Questions
Which type of study is a comparative study? A. Survey B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Experimental
A
A nurse researcher demonstrated that cigarette smoking appeared to be a determinant of lung cancer. The researcher was unable to conclude a causal relationship exists between cigarette smoking and lung cancer because of which reason? (Select all that apply.) A. The independent variable was not manipulated B. Subjects were not randomly assigned to groups. C. The researcher did not have a high level of control. D. The causal event did not occur before the effect event.
A, B
Extraneous variables can be controlled by what? (Select all that apply.) A. Randomly selecting subjects B. Using a homogeneous sample C. Manipulating the dependent variable Incorrect D. Conducting a pilot test
A, B
The criteria used to determine testability of a hypothesis include what? (Select all that apply.) A. Use of quantifiable words such as greater than or less than B. A hypothesis stated in such a way that it can be clearly supported or not supported C. The use of value-laden words in a hypothesis D. Data collection efforts that prove the validity of the hypothesis
A, B
The nurse participating in a research project recognizes that the advantages to using directional hypotheses include what? (Select all that apply.) A. The indication of the use of a theory base to derive the hypothesis B. The provision of a specific theoretical frame of reference C. Assurance that findings will be generalizable D. The indication of a nonbiased selection of subjects
A, B
The nurse researcher is writing a clinical question. What do elements of such a question include? (Select all that apply.) A. Population B. Intervention C. Outcome D. Evaluation
A, B, C
What is another name for longitudinal studies? (Select all that apply.) A. Prospective studies B. Cohort studies C. Repeated measures studies D. Ex post facto studies
A, B, C
A researcher studies the differences in IQ between girls and boys. She tests cohorts of girls and boys in the third grade and then tests the same girls and boys when they are in the sixth grade. Which are threats to internal validity in this study? (Select all that apply.) A. Maturation B. History C. Testing D. Measurement effects
A, C
A researcher decides to use six people to help collect data for a quantitative study. What is a potential threat to the internal validity of this study? A. History B. Instrumentation C. Maturation D. Selection effects
B
A student finds most of the articles retrieved during an electronic search of the literature are not useful. What is the best next step? A. Use articles obtained because little research was conducted in the area. B. Change the keywords and do another search. C. Change the study and focus of the literature review. D. Use a print index to retrieve older documents.
B
In quantitative research, control is used to avoid what? A. Duplication B. Bias C. Randomization D. Homogeneity
B
Which hypothesis is indicative of an experimental research design? (Select all that apply.) A. Frequent irrigation of Foley catheters will be positively related to urinary tract infections. B. The incidence of urinary tract infections will be greater in patients whose Foley catheters are irrigated frequently than in those whose Foley catheters are irrigated less frequently. C. Frequent irrigation of Foley catheters is associated with urinary tract infections. D. The incidence of urinary tract infections will not differ between patients with or without Foley catheters.
B, D
The nurse researcher is designing an ex post facto study that uses cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. In such a study, the dependent variable for the control group is considered to be what? A. Cigarette smoking B. Lung cancer C. Absence of lung cancer D. Lack of cigarette smoking
C
The nurse researcher is participating in a quasi-experimental study. Which level is characteristic of the strength of the evidence provided by the results of such a study? A. Level I B. Level II C. Level III D. Level IV
C
The nurse researcher is trying to determine which Boolean operator should be used to combine synonyms for a concept during the literature search. What is the most effective operator to use in this case? A. And B. Not C. Or D. And not
C
The nurse is using CINAHL as an electronic database. What is an effective technique to use with this database? A. Use complete sentences when using Advanced Search B. Mark "Research Articles," and then select "Search" C. Use the Boolean connector "and" to broaden your search D. Use the Limit Your Results section to limit results by age group
D
The nurse researcher defines control as what? A. Having a large sample size B. Manipulating the dependent variable C. Having a basis of comparison for each experimental group of subjects D. Holding conditions of the study constant
D
To avoid threats to validity, a researcher must identify, plan for, and control what? A. Independent variables B. Unexpected findings C. The control group D. Extraneous variables
D
What is a characteristic of a hypothesis? A. It flows from interpretation of the data collected. B. It operationally defines the variable to be studied. C. It eliminates the need to designate a dependent variable. D. It implies a causative or associative relationship.
D
What is an advantage of using surveys for data collection? A. Causation can be determined. B. Information can be collected in great depth. C. Large-scale surveys are relatively inexpensive. D. A relatively small number of subjects can provide accurate information.
D
Which research hypothesis is most testable? A. There is a relationship between meditation and anxiety disorders. B. Patients with anxiety disorders who learn meditation techniques have less anxiety than those who do not. C. Teaching one meditation technique to patients with anxiety disorders will be better than teaching multiple techniques. D. The ability to meditate causes lower anxiety in patients with anxiety disorder than those who do not meditate.
D
A nurse researcher chooses to use a secondary source in a research study. What is an example of such a source? A. A chapter in a book critiquing research conducted on visual impairment in diabetics B. The North Dakota Nurse Practice Act, describing that state's scope of practice for nurses C. A doctoral dissertation that studied depression in adolescents D. A published research report from 10 years ago, written by the original researcher
A
A nurse researcher is beginning a computer search in a research study. What should the nurse do? A. Use at least two recognized electronic databases. B. Start with scholarly nonresearch literature. C. Read only abstracts from primary sources. D. Use the fewest keywords possible.
A
A research question can be converted into a declarative statement that predicts an expected outcome through the use of what? A. Hypothesis B. Variable C. Theory D. Operational definition
A
Graduates of nursing programs were surveyed 6 months postgraduation to determine their perspectives on the adequacy of their nursing education. This study is an example of what kind of study? A. A cross-sectional study B. A prospective study C. An ex post facto study D. A longitudinal study
A
The nurse develops the following hypothesis: Elderly women receive less aggressive treatment for breast cancer than do younger women. Which variable would be considered the dependent variable? A. Degree of treatment received B. Age of the patient C. Type of cancer being treated D. Use of inpatient treatment
A
The nurse is using an electronic database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The nurse is most likely using which database? A. ERIC B. MEDLINE C. EMBASE D. CINAHL
A
The nurse researcher is designing an ex post facto study that uses cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. In such a study, the independent variable for the experimental group is considered to be what? A. Cigarette smoking B. Lung cancer C. Absence of lung cancer D. Lack of cigarette smoking
A
The nurse researcher strives for accuracy in the research design so that what happens? A. All aspects of the study logically flow from the research question. B. All mediating variables have been controlled. C. Gaps in the literature have been identified. D. The timing of data collection was the same for each subject.
A
What is a characteristic of a directional hypothesis? A. It specifies the expected relationship between dependent and independent variables. B. It describes causality of the dependent variable on the independent variable. C. It is one of several hypotheses arising from a complex research question. D. It is more objective and impartial than nondirectional hypotheses.
A
What is a characteristic of a statistical hypothesis? A. It is a null hypothesis. B. It predicts a positive relationship among variables. C. It is a complex hypothesis. D. It describes data-analysis methods.
A
What is the role of an investigator in a correlational study? A. Examines the relationship between two or more variables B. Evaluates data collection instruments C. Determines a cause-and-effect relationship among variables D. Uses each subject as his or her own control
A
What must occur for the nurse researcher to randomly select a sample of subjects? A. Each subject should have an equal chance of being selected. B. Subjects who might die or leave the study voluntarily should be eliminated. C. Subjects should be grouped according to homogeneity. D. Each subject should be selected on the basis of his or her ability to participate.
A
Which type of studies is concerned specifically with a time perspective? A. Developmental studies B. Cross-sectional studies C. Descriptive studies D. Causal modeling studies
A
What are potential disadvantages of longitudinal studies? (Select all that apply.) A. Subject loss as a result of attrition B. Loss of a control group C. The Hawthorne effect D. Superficiality of data
A, C
The criteria used to judge the soundness of a stated research question include what? (Select all that apply.) A. A relationship between two or more variables B. An operational definition of each variable C. The nature of the population being tested D. The possibility of empirical testing
A, C, D
Which studies are classified as survey studies? (Select all that apply.) A. Descriptive B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Exploratory E. Comparative F. Cross-sectional
A, D, E
A nurse researcher is outlining a premise for an evidence-based project. She or he should plan to research how many years in the literature for this project? A. 3 years is sufficient. B. 5 years is preferred. C. 7 years is expected. D. All literature is to be included.
B
A nurse wants to study the effectiveness of meditation for people with anxiety disorder. Which variable would be most relevant to explore in the literature on the topic? A. Use of meditation during childbirth B. Meditation techniques found to be effective C. Pain management for people with anxiety disorders D. Outcomes of meditation when used by elderly populations
B
A study was designed to assess whether motion had an effect on the mood of elderly residents in a nursing home. The researcher examined whether residents who ambulated for an hour every day were more engaged in their environments than those who did not ambulate. This type of study is known as what? A. Prospective B. Comparative C. Ex post facto D. Correlational
B
During the research process, a hypothesis should be developed by the researcher at what point? A. Before development of the research question B. After development of the research question C. After a research design is determined D. Before any statistical analysis
B
Once data has been collected, a literature review should be conducted at what point? A. When the researcher cannot formulate a research question B. When a qualitative research design was used C. When there were no significant findings D. When too many subjects dropped out of the study
B
The nurse researcher randomly selects subjects in order to do what? A. Increase the number of participants B. Eliminate bias C. Prevent contamination of subjects D. Control the dependent variables
B
The nurse researcher writes the research question, "What was it like to be diagnosed with breast cancer?" This is considered to be which type of research question? A. Comparative quantitative B. Grounded theory qualitative C. Correlational quantitative D. Experimental quantitative
B
What is the best source for a nurse researcher to use when conducting a level I systematic meta-analysis of the literature? A. An electronic database B. The Cochrane Statistical Methods Group C. A doctoral dissertation D. MEDLINE
B
What is the most efficient tool to use for scholarly literature searches? A. Web browsers B. Online journals C. Search engines D. Government Web sites
B
Which statement about hypotheses is most accurate? A. Hypotheses represent the main idea to be studied and are the foundations of research studies. B. Hypotheses help frame a test of the validity of a theory. C. Hypotheses provide the means to test nursing theory. A. A hypothesis can also be called a problem statement.
B
Which statement is most accurate regarding hypotheses? A. Hypotheses operationally define the dependent variables. B. Hypotheses are statements about the relationships among variables. C. Hypotheses describe the effect of the dependent variable on the independent variable. D. Hypotheses must include a definition of the treatment or intervention used.
B
Why are psychometrics used? A. To interpret research data to determine cause-and-effect relationships B. To use the research process to develop tools or techniques for use in measurement C. To combine data from multiple research studies and summarize their findings D. To analyze data collected for another purpose
B
Administration of an intervention to one group of subjects and not another is an example of what? (Select all that apply.) A. Homogeneity of subjects B. Manipulation of the independent variable C. An experimental study D. The introduction of bias
B, C
Characteristics of the literature review required for a quantitative research study include what? (Select all that apply.) A. The review is exhaustive and must include all studies conducted in the area. B. Doctoral dissertations and masters' theses are preferred sources of information. C. Computer-accessed materials are acceptable D. Primary sources are not as important as secondary sources.
B, C
Similarities between literature reviews conducted for research purposes and literature reviews conducted for research consumers include what? (Select all that apply.) A. Amount of literature required to be reviewed B. Degree of critical reading required C. Importance of conceptual literature D. Purpose of the review
B, C
Which statements are true about nonexperimental designs? (Select all that apply.) A. In nonexperimental studies, the independent variable is manipulated. B. Nonexperimental designs are used to test relationships among variables. C. Nonexperimental designs can be used to construct a picture of a phenomenon at one point in time. D. In nonexperimental studies, subjects are randomly selected.
B, C
Which studies are classified as relationship-difference studies? (Select all that apply.) A. Descriptive B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Exploratory E. Comparative F. Cross-sectional
B, C, F
What is another name for retrospective studies? (Select all that apply.) A. Repeated measures studies B. Case-control studies C. Cohort studies D. Ex post facto studies
B, D
A researcher explored the nursing practice of new graduates to measure the frequency of medical errors they made over time. A cohort of new graduates was surveyed at 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year postgraduation. Which design best describes this study? A. Correlational predictive B. Retrospective correlational C. Descriptive longitudinal D. Comparative descriptive
C
A student conducting an electronic search of the literature is simultaneously using two databases, CINAHL and MEDLINE, which generate more than 2000 citations. What does this indicate? A. There has been a great deal of research in this area. B. CINAHL and MEDLINE duplicate the literature. C. The keywords were not sufficiently narrow. D. A third database is necessary to limit the search.
C
For large experimental studies, conducting a pilot study helps the researcher determine what? A. Degree of internal control over dependent variables B. Accuracy and objectivity of the design C. Feasibility of the research design D. Constancy of data collection
C
Internal validity is important to the nurse researcher because it asks what? A. If the study is generalizable to the larger population B. If the Hawthorne effect affected the findings C. Whether the independent variable really made the change in the dependent variable D. Whether study findings are a result of measurement effects
C
Nonexperimental correlational studies are used frequently in nursing research for which reason? A. Findings of nonexperimental correlational studies can be generalized to larger populations. B. Independent variables can be manipulated precisely in correlational studies. C. Many of the phenomena of clinical interest do not lend themselves to manipulation, control, or randomization. D. To determine the best clinical practices, nurses must be aware of cause-and-effect relationships.
C
Nonexperimental studies provide what type of evidence? A. Level II B. Level III C. Level IV D. Level V
C
Objectivity in the conceptualization of the research question is derived from what? A. A random sample of subjects B. A control group C. The review of literature D. The selection of instruments to be used
C
The nurse researcher has consulted a Web site that supports the library supported by Sigma Theta Tau international Honor Society of Nursing. The nurse has been using what? A. National Guideline Clearinghouse B. Joanna Briggs Institute C. Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library D. Cochrane Collaboration
C
The nurse researcher should strive for subjects to demonstrate homogeneity with respect to which variables? A. Independent B. Dependent C. Extraneous D. Outcome
C
What is the first step in the qualitative research process? A. Data analysis B. Sample C. Review of the literature D. Study design
C
What is the most effective use of a print index for a nurse researcher? A. To determine the keywords to use in an electronic search B. To provide the latest unpublished research C. To show sources that may not have been entered into an electronic database D. To provide lists of secondary resources
C
What is the purpose of including a summary of the theoretical and scientific background of a study in a research report? A. To operationalize the variables used in the study B. To differentiate the purpose of the study and the research question C. To inform the reader about how the research question was developed Correct D. To allow the reader to determine the testability of the hypothesis
C
When should the nurse researcher reject the null hypothesis? A. When there is no association among variables B. When there is evidence of significance C. When the independent and dependent variables are related D. When the research hypothesis is rejected
C
Which is a characteristic of an independent variable? A. It is the variable that is predicted to change. B. It varies with a change in the dependent variable. C. It is manipulated by the researcher. D. It can be identified only by changes in the dependent variable.
C
Which type of study is a case-control study? A. Survey B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Experimental
C
Which type of study is a cohort study? A. Survey B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Experimental
C
Which type of study is a prospective study? A. Survey B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Experimental
C
Which type of study is an ex post facto study? A. Survey B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Experimental
C
Which type of study would be classified as a longitudinal study? A. Survey B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Experimental
C
What does scholarly literature include? (Select all that apply.) A. Research reports reported in primary sources only B. Conceptual and theoretical literature from primary sources only C. Published and unpublished reports of research D. Primary and secondary sources
C, D
A nurse researcher chooses a primary source in a research study. What is an example of such a source? A. A published commentary on the findings of another study B. A doctoral dissertation that critiques all research on attention deficit disorder C. A textbook of medical-surgical nursing D. A journal article about research using large, previously unpublished databases generated by the U.S. census
D
A research study was under way looking at the frequency of mammograms in perimenopausal women. During the study a celebrity was diagnosed with breast cancer. The effect of this event on the research findings is called what? A. Maturation B. Reactivity C. Constancy D History
D
Why are predictive models used? A. To synthesize findings from randomized clinical trials to test the effectiveness of an intervention B. To develop measurement techniques to establish causal relationships C. To generalize findings from nonexperimental studies D. To explain the relationships among variables to establish predictive or causal links
D
Which type of study would be classified as a developmental study? A. Descriptive B. Correlational C. Developmental D. Exploratory E. Comparative F. Cross-sectional
F