CPCE Research & Program Evaluation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher collects data from the same participants at ages 10, 15, and 20 to study how career aspirations change over time. This is a(n):
- Cross-sectional study
- Longitudinal study (Correct answer)
- Retrospective study
- Case-control study
Correct answer: Longitudinal study
A longitudinal study follows the same participants over an extended time period to observe how variables change or develop.
Question 2: Which reliability coefficient refers to the consistency of a test when administered twice to the same group over a period of time?
- Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha)
- Inter-rater reliability
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
- Parallel forms reliability
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
Test-retest reliability measures the stability of scores across two administrations of the same instrument separated by a time interval.
Question 3: In a mixed-methods study, a counselor collects quantitative survey data and then uses qualitative interviews to explain unexpected survey findings. This sequential design is called:
- Explanatory sequential design (Correct answer)
- Exploratory sequential design
- Convergent parallel design
- Embedded design
Correct answer: Explanatory sequential design
An explanatory sequential design starts with quantitative data collection and uses subsequent qualitative data to explain or elaborate on the quantitative results.
Question 4: A counselor educator evaluates a training program by comparing students' counseling skill scores before training (pretest) and after training (posttest) using one group. The greatest threat to internal validity in this design is:
- Selection bias
- Attrition/mortality
- History and maturation (Correct answer)
- Instrumentation change
Correct answer: History and maturation
In one-group pretest-posttest designs, history (external events) and maturation (participants naturally changing over time) are major threats because there is no control group to rule them out.
Question 5: When reviewing research for evidence-based practice, a counselor finds that a meta-analysis exists on the treatment of social anxiety. Compared to a single randomized trial, a meta-analysis provides:
- More recent data because it uses the latest published study
- A quantitative synthesis of effect sizes across multiple studies (Correct answer)
- A qualitative description of how the treatment should be administered
- Greater depth of understanding of one specific client population
Correct answer: A quantitative synthesis of effect sizes across multiple studies
Meta-analysis statistically combines findings from multiple studies to produce an overall estimate of effect size, providing stronger evidence than any single study.
Question 6: A counselor notices that clients who voluntarily enroll in her stress management group report lower stress at follow-up, but she cannot determine if the improvement is due to the intervention or to the type of person who chooses to enroll. This confound is called:
- Experimenter bias
- Selection bias (Correct answer)
- Regression to the mean
- Social desirability bias
Correct answer: Selection bias
Selection bias occurs when the characteristics of people who self-select into a program differ systematically from those who do not, making it impossible to isolate the program's effect.
Question 7: Which of the following best represents the use of 'triangulation' in qualitative research?
- Using three separate statistical tests to confirm the same finding
- Collecting data from multiple sources or methods to enhance credibility (Correct answer)
- Dividing the sample into three subgroups for comparison
- Applying three theoretical frameworks to the same research question
Correct answer: Collecting data from multiple sources or methods to enhance credibility
Triangulation involves using multiple data sources, methods, or investigators to cross-check findings and strengthen the trustworthiness of qualitative conclusions.
CPCE Research & Program Evaluation 5
A researcher collects data from the same participants at ages 10, 15, and 20 to study how career aspirations change over time.
This is a(n):