CRP Research Design & Methodology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher conducts multiple statistical tests on the same dataset without correction. What error is most likely to increase?
- Type II error rate
- Type I error rate (Correct answer)
- Measurement error
- Sampling error
Correct answer: Type I error rate
Conducting multiple tests inflates the Type I error rate (false positive rate), making it more likely to find spurious significant results.
Question 2: Which concept describes the degree to which an instrument measures what it claims to measure?
- Reliability
- Validity (Correct answer)
- Precision
- Sensitivity
Correct answer: Validity
Validity refers to whether a measurement instrument accurately measures the construct it is intended to assess.
Question 3: In which research design does the same group of participants serve as both the experimental and control group at different time points?
- Between-subjects design
- Mixed factorial design
- Within-subjects (repeated measures) design (Correct answer)
- Matched pairs design
Correct answer: Within-subjects (repeated measures) design
In a within-subjects design, each participant experiences all conditions, serving as their own control across time points.
Question 4: A qualitative researcher conducts member checking by returning findings to participants for verification. This practice enhances:
- Statistical generalizability
- Credibility (internal validity equivalent) (Correct answer)
- Transferability
- Dependability
Correct answer: Credibility (internal validity equivalent)
Member checking enhances credibility in qualitative research by allowing participants to confirm the accuracy of the researcher's interpretations.
Question 5: When a study's results cannot be applied beyond the specific sample studied, the research lacks:
- Internal validity
- Construct validity
- External validity (Correct answer)
- Convergent validity
Correct answer: External validity
External validity refers to the generalizability of findings to other populations, settings, and time periods beyond the specific study.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a pilot study in research design?
- To publish preliminary findings
- To test and refine procedures before the main study (Correct answer)
- To recruit the full sample
- To analyze data from a subsample
Correct answer: To test and refine procedures before the main study
A pilot study tests procedures, instruments, and protocols on a small scale to identify and correct problems before the full study.
Question 7: Which factor threatens internal validity by causing participants to perform differently simply because they know they are being studied?
- Maturation
- History effect
- Hawthorne effect (Correct answer)
- Regression to the mean
Correct answer: Hawthorne effect
The Hawthorne effect occurs when participants alter their behavior because they are aware of being observed, not because of the intervention.
CRP Research Design & Methodology 3
A researcher conducts multiple statistical tests on the same dataset without correction.
What error is most likely to increase?