STP Research Methods 5

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the intention-to-treat (ITT) principle in an RCT?

Accepted Answer

All randomized participants are analyzed in the group they were assigned to, regardless of protocol adherence

Answer

ITT analysis includes all randomized participants in their originally assigned groups, preserving the benefits of randomization and avoiding bias from dropout.

Question 2

Specificity of a diagnostic test is defined as:

Accepted Answer

The proportion of non-diseased individuals correctly testing negative

Answer

Specificity is the true negative rate — the proportion of people without the disease who are correctly identified as negative by the test.

Question 3

In research ethics, the principle of beneficence requires that researchers:

Accepted Answer

Maximize benefits and minimize harms to participants

Answer

Beneficence obligates researchers to promote the well-being of participants by maximizing potential benefits and minimizing potential harms.

Question 4

A forest plot in a meta-analysis displays:

Accepted Answer

Effect estimates and confidence intervals for individual studies and a pooled summary

Answer

A forest plot shows each study's effect estimate and confidence interval as horizontal lines, with a diamond representing the pooled meta-analytic estimate.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of information bias in a case-control study?

Accepted Answer

Cases recall past exposures more vividly than controls (recall bias)

Answer

Recall bias is a form of information bias where cases, motivated by their disease, recall past exposures differently than controls, distorting exposure estimates.

(STP) Scientist Training Programme Practice Test

(STP) Scientist Training Programme Practice Test

STP Research Methods 5