Evaluation and Research Methods Flashcards

A logic model's 'outputs' section typically includes:

Answer: Activities completed and products delivered

Outputs in a logic model represent the direct products of program activities, such as sessions conducted or materials distributed.

Triangulation in qualitative research involves:

Answer: Using multiple data sources or methods to strengthen credibility

Triangulation uses multiple data sources, methods, or investigators to cross-verify findings and enhance credibility.

Which threat to internal validity occurs when participants in a study improve simply because they are being observed?

Answer: Hawthorne effect

The Hawthorne effect refers to behavior change that results from participants knowing they are being observed rather than from the intervention itself.

A needs assessment that uses existing data (e.g., vital statistics, census data) is relying on:

Answer: Secondary data analysis

Secondary data analysis involves using data already collected for another purpose, such as government databases or hospital records.

Which statistical test is most appropriate for comparing mean scores between two independent groups?

Answer: Independent samples t-test

An independent samples t-test compares the means of two separate, unrelated groups to determine if a statistically significant difference exists.

Summative evaluation is best described as an assessment conducted:

Answer: At the end of a program to judge overall effectiveness

Summative evaluation occurs at the program's conclusion to determine whether goals were met and to inform decisions about continuation.

In health education research, response rate is important because a low response rate threatens:

Answer: External validity due to potential non-response bias

Low response rates may introduce non-response bias, where non-responders differ systematically from responders, limiting generalizability.