CWP Research Methods and Evidence 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which research approach would a CWP use to explore participants' lived experiences of chronic pain and wellness?
- Phenomenological qualitative study (Correct answer)
- Double-blind RCT
- Meta-analysis
- Time-series analysis
Correct answer: Phenomenological qualitative study
Phenomenological qualitative research is designed to capture the subjective, lived experiences of individuals, making it ideal for understanding personal wellness journeys.
Question 2: When a wellness measurement tool produces consistent results across multiple administrations over short intervals, it demonstrates:
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
- Inter-rater reliability
- Internal consistency
- Criterion validity
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
Test-retest reliability assesses whether the same instrument yields stable scores across repeated measurements when no true change has occurred.
Question 3: A systematic review differs from a traditional literature review primarily because it:
- Uses explicit, reproducible search criteria to minimize bias (Correct answer)
- Only includes RCTs
- Is conducted by a single expert
- Focuses on one study in depth
Correct answer: Uses explicit, reproducible search criteria to minimize bias
Systematic reviews follow predefined, transparent protocols for searching, selecting, and appraising studies, greatly reducing the risk of selection bias.
Question 4: In wellness research, a confidence interval that does NOT cross zero (for a mean difference) suggests:
- The result is statistically significant (Correct answer)
- The effect size is clinically meaningful
- The sample is representative
- The instrument is reliable
Correct answer: The result is statistically significant
When a confidence interval for a mean difference excludes zero, the finding is statistically significant at the corresponding alpha level.
Question 5: Grounded theory as a qualitative method is best suited for a CWP who wants to:
- Develop a new theory about health behavior from participant data (Correct answer)
- Test a pre-existing wellness model
- Compare intervention outcomes numerically
- Conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis
Correct answer: Develop a new theory about health behavior from participant data
Grounded theory is an inductive qualitative approach where theory emerges from systematically gathered and analyzed data rather than being imposed beforehand.
Question 6: Which sampling method would give every employee in a 500-person company an equal chance of being selected for a workplace wellness study?
- Simple random sampling (Correct answer)
- Convenience sampling
- Purposive sampling
- Snowball sampling
Correct answer: Simple random sampling
Simple random sampling assigns each member of the population an equal probability of selection, reducing selection bias and supporting generalizability.
Question 7: A CWP notices that a wellness scale has Cronbach's alpha of 0.55. This indicates:
- Poor internal consistency requiring scale revision (Correct answer)
- Excellent reliability
- Adequate test-retest stability
- Strong criterion validity
Correct answer: Poor internal consistency requiring scale revision
Cronbach's alpha of 0.55 falls below the generally accepted threshold of 0.70, indicating that the scale items do not consistently measure the same construct.
CWP Research Methods and Evidence 3
Which research approach would a CWP use to explore participants' lived experiences of chronic pain and wellness?