PRC Research Design & Methodology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher wants to establish that a new training program caused improved employee performance, not other factors. Which design best supports this causal claim?
- Cross-sectional survey
- Case study with interviews
- Randomized controlled experiment (Correct answer)
- Retrospective cohort analysis
Correct answer: Randomized controlled experiment
Randomized controlled experiments allow causal inference by controlling for confounders through random assignment.
Question 2: In a longitudinal panel study, attrition bias occurs when:
- Participants respond differently at each wave
- Dropouts differ systematically from those who remain (Correct answer)
- The panel grows too large to manage
- Interviewers change between waves
Correct answer: Dropouts differ systematically from those who remain
Attrition bias arises when participants who leave the study differ from those who stay, skewing results.
Question 3: Which sampling method is most appropriate when a complete population list is unavailable and the population is geographically dispersed?
- Simple random sampling
- Systematic sampling
- Cluster sampling (Correct answer)
- Quota sampling
Correct answer: Cluster sampling
Cluster sampling divides the population into groups and randomly selects entire clusters, ideal when a full list is unavailable.
Question 4: A researcher uses the same instrument to measure customer satisfaction today and again in six months without any intervention. This assesses:
- Content validity
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
- Construct validity
- Inter-rater reliability
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
Test-retest reliability measures the consistency of an instrument's results over time without any intervening changes.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a pilot study?
- To publish preliminary findings quickly
- To test and refine instruments and procedures before the main study (Correct answer)
- To recruit a large sample efficiently
- To satisfy IRB requirements
Correct answer: To test and refine instruments and procedures before the main study
A pilot study identifies flaws in instruments, procedures, and logistics before the full study is conducted.
Question 6: Convergent validity is demonstrated when:
- A measure correlates highly with measures of theoretically related constructs (Correct answer)
- A measure produces consistent results over time
- A measure covers all aspects of a construct
- A measure predicts a future criterion
Correct answer: A measure correlates highly with measures of theoretically related constructs
Convergent validity is established when a measure correlates strongly with other measures of the same or closely related constructs.
Question 7: In experimental design, counterbalancing is used to control for:
- Social desirability bias
- Order effects and carryover effects (Correct answer)
- Sampling error
- Non-response bias
Correct answer: Order effects and carryover effects
Counterbalancing varies the order of conditions across participants to cancel out order and carryover effects.
PRC Research Design & Methodology 2
A researcher wants to establish that a new training program caused improved employee performance, not other factors.
Which design best supports this causal claim?