Research Methods and Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real MPT 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 Methods and Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text
According to the hierarchy of evidence, which study design provides the strongest evidence for clinical decision-making?
Answer: Systematic review with meta-analysis
Systematic reviews with meta-analysis sit at the top of the evidence hierarchy because they synthesize findings from multiple high-quality studies to produce pooled estimates.
A study reports a p-value of 0.03. What does this most accurately indicate?
Answer: There is a 3% probability of obtaining results as extreme as observed if the null hypothesis is true
A p-value represents the probability of observing results as extreme as those obtained assuming the null hypothesis is true, not the probability that the treatment works.
Which research design is most appropriate for establishing cause-and-effect relationships between an intervention and an outcome?
Answer: Randomized controlled trial
Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for establishing causality because randomization distributes confounders equally and allows direct comparison of treatment effects.
Internal validity in a research study refers to:
Answer: The extent to which the study design supports valid conclusions about cause and effect within the study
Internal validity reflects how well the study controls for confounders and biases, allowing valid causal conclusions to be drawn about the relationship studied.
A researcher rejects the null hypothesis when it is actually true. This error is classified as:
Answer: Type I error
A Type I error (alpha error) is a false positive — incorrectly rejecting a true null hypothesis, with the probability set by the alpha level (commonly 0.05).
What is the primary purpose of randomization in a randomized controlled trial?
Answer: To distribute known and unknown confounding variables equally between groups
Randomization ensures that both known and unknown confounding variables are distributed equally across groups, thereby minimizing selection bias.
A systematic review differs from a narrative review primarily because it:
Answer: Uses explicit, predefined, and reproducible methods to search, select, and appraise evidence
Systematic reviews follow transparent, reproducible protocols for literature searching, study selection, and quality appraisal, minimizing bias compared to narrative reviews.