Research Design & Methodology Flashcards
7 cards from real CRP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research Design & Methodology flashcards as text
A researcher wants to study whether a new drug reduces blood pressure but cannot randomly assign participants due to ethical constraints. Which design is most appropriate?
Answer: Quasi-experimental design
Quasi-experimental designs allow causal inference when random assignment is not possible by using comparison groups without randomization.
Which sampling method is most appropriate when the population has distinct subgroups and the researcher wants proportional representation from each?
Answer: Stratified random sampling
Stratified random sampling divides the population into subgroups (strata) and samples proportionally from each, ensuring representation.
In a longitudinal study tracking children's reading ability over 10 years, what is the primary concern with attrition?
Answer: Selection bias in the remaining sample
Attrition can create selection bias if those who drop out differ systematically from those who remain, threatening internal validity.
A survey question asks: 'Don't you agree that the current policy is harmful?' This is an example of:
Answer: Leading question
A leading question is phrased to suggest a desired answer, biasing respondents toward a particular response.
Which research design is best suited to generating hypotheses rather than testing them?
Answer: Exploratory research design
Exploratory research is designed to investigate new or poorly understood phenomena and generate hypotheses for future testing.
A researcher measures participants' income using ordinal categories (low, medium, high). What statistical analysis is most appropriate for comparing two groups?
Answer: Mann-Whitney U test
The Mann-Whitney U test is a non-parametric alternative to the t-test appropriate for ordinal data.
What does 'ecological validity' refer to in research methodology?
Answer: The degree to which findings generalize to real-world settings
Ecological validity refers to the extent to which research findings can be applied to and reflect real-world situations outside the laboratory.