MFT Research Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher randomly assigns couples to either a 12-week EFT intervention or a waitlist control group. This design is best described as a:
- Quasi-experimental design
- True experimental design (Correct answer)
- Cross-sectional survey
- Case study
Correct answer: True experimental design
True experimental designs use random assignment to conditions, which this study does.
Question 2: Which statistical technique is most appropriate when a researcher wants to examine the relationship between one continuous outcome variable and multiple continuous predictor variables simultaneously?
- Chi-square test
- Multiple regression (Correct answer)
- Paired t-test
- Mann-Whitney U test
Correct answer: Multiple regression
Multiple regression models the relationship between one continuous dependent variable and several continuous predictors.
Question 3: A therapist-researcher notices that clients who improve most report stronger therapeutic alliance. She concludes that alliance causes improvement. What is the major flaw in this reasoning?
- The sample size is too small
- Correlation does not establish causation (Correct answer)
- Alliance was not operationally defined
- The study lacked a hypothesis
Correct answer: Correlation does not establish causation
Observing a correlation between alliance and improvement does not rule out reverse causation or confounds.
Question 4: In a grounded theory study, theoretical sampling means:
- Randomly selecting participants from a population
- Choosing participants based on emerging theory to fill conceptual gaps (Correct answer)
- Using stratified quotas to match demographic proportions
- Sampling from theory textbooks to develop interview questions
Correct answer: Choosing participants based on emerging theory to fill conceptual gaps
Theoretical sampling in grounded theory involves selecting new participants specifically to develop and refine the emerging theory.
Question 5: A researcher reports a 95% confidence interval of [2.1, 8.4] for a mean difference. The correct interpretation is:
- There is a 95% probability the true mean falls in this range
- If repeated sampling were done, 95% of such intervals would contain the true mean (Correct answer)
- The null hypothesis is true 5% of the time
- The effect size is large
Correct answer: If repeated sampling were done, 95% of such intervals would contain the true mean
A confidence interval is a procedure such that 95% of intervals constructed this way capture the true parameter.
Question 6: Which of the following best defines construct validity in a research instrument?
- The instrument consistently yields the same scores over time
- The instrument measures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure (Correct answer)
- The instrument's items cover all relevant content domains
- The instrument predicts a criterion measured at a later time
Correct answer: The instrument measures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure
Construct validity refers to how well an instrument actually measures the theoretical concept it purports to assess.
Question 7: An MFT researcher studying trauma uses member checking. This technique involves:
- Having colleagues audit the researcher's analytic trail
- Sharing findings or interpretations with participants to verify accuracy (Correct answer)
- Triangulating data from multiple sources
- Keeping a reflexivity journal throughout the study
Correct answer: Sharing findings or interpretations with participants to verify accuracy
Member checking is a trustworthiness strategy where participants review and confirm or dispute the researcher's interpretations.
MFT Research Methods 2
A researcher randomly assigns couples to either a 12-week EFT intervention or a waitlist control group.
This design is best described as a: