Chapter 10: Observational Research

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Researchers using a ______ research design start by first identifying the determinant or risk factor and then follow the participants over time until they develop the outcome.

A. deductive

B. retrospective

C. prospective

D. causal

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Researchers using a ______ research design start by first identifying the outcome and then looking backward in time to see whether they can find the determinant or risk factor that contributed to the outcome.

A. deductive

B. retrospective

C. prospective

D. causal

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. An observational research design is conducted when an experimental design might not be ______.

A. ethical

B. easy

C. expedient

D. expected

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Observational research designs can be broken up into how many classifications?

A. one

B. two

C. three

D. four

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. A group of researchers focus on exposure to dust from September 11 as a risk factor. They then follow participants for 5 years. What type of study is this?

A. prospective

B. deductive

C. qualitative

D. retrospective

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Why would a researcher use a retrospective research design?

A. to make the research process quicker

B. to limit the amount of resources they need

C. when the problem has not yet been identified

D. when the problem has already occurred

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. Which research design is used when researchers initially expect an association between exposure and population outcomes?

A. ecological

B. cross-sectional

C. cohort

D. case-control

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ecological Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Which research design is used when a researcher simultaneously determines exposure and the outcome for everyone in the study?

A. ecological

B. cross-sectional

C. cohort

D. case-control

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. Which research design is used when both individuals who have and who have not been exposed are followed over time?

A. ecological

B. cross-sectional

C. cohort

D. case-control

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. Which research design is used when individuals are selected based on the outcome and are compared to those without the outcome?

A. ecological

B. cross-sectional

C. cohort

D. case-control

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. A ______ analysis is often used to measure the association in an ecological research study.

A. relational

B. quasi-relational

C. correlational

D. situational

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ecological Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

12. A ______ design is good for establishing an association between the exposure and outcome.

A. cross-section

B. spurious

C. confounding

D. prevalent

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. A(n) ______ assumes that the relationship that exists for groups is also true for individuals.

A. hypothesis

B. ecological fallacy

C. odds ratio

D. theoretical perspective

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ecological Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. ______ variables are related to both the exposure variable and the outcome variable.

A. Realistic

B. Spurious

C. Ecological

D. Confounding

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. A(n) ______ relationship is one in which the relationship between the exposure variable and outcome variable is due to a third variable.

A. realistic

B. spurious

C. ecological

D. confounding

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. Which term refers to the number of cases in a population in a specific time period that are expressed as the proportion of the total population at risk for the condition?

A. exposure group

B. confounding variables

C. prevalence

D. variability

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. A cohort research design can be used to assess causality because the exposure has been identified ______ the outcome and can be prospective or retrospective.

A. during

B. after

C. before

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

18. A cohort research design is great for identifying the occurrence of new cases of the outcome. These are known as ______.

A. risks

B. incidents

C. biases

D. associations

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. An observational cohort research design is appropriate when the outcome is not too ______.

A. obvious

B. rare

C. definitive

D. complex

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

20. An ______ rate is the number of new cases arising in a given period in a specified population.

A. incidence

B. intentional

C. observational

D. opinion

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

21. What is used to measure the association in a cohort research design study?

A. relative detriment

B. relative risk

C. restrictive risk

D. restrictive detriment

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

22. Threats to the internal validity of an observational cohort research are attrition and ______ bias.

A. inherent

B. prospective

C. selection

D. respective

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

23. Attrition occurs as a result of persons ______ the study.

A. dropping out of

B. contaminating

C. duplicating

D. disproving

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. ______ bias could occur when there are systematic differences between the exposed group compared to the not exposed group on factors related to the outcome.

A. Inherent

B. Prospective

C. Selection

D. Retrospective

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. When a researcher is studying individuals with a past history of exposure to a disease, toxin, or event, which design should they use?

A. ecological

B. cross-sectional

C. cohort

D. case-control

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Medium

26. When are case-control designs appropriate to use?

A. when there is better funding for this format than others

B. when there is reliable evidence of past exposure

C. if participants prefer it

D. when research collection time is limited

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. In case-control research design, researchers must ensure that the controls are ______ when compared to the previous cases in all respects other than what they were exposed to.

A. opposite

B. similar

C. obvious

D. unexpected

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Medium

28. A case-control research design is usually ______.

A. longitudinal

B. prospective

C. retrospective

D. spurious

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Medium

29. Researchers must ensure that the controls are ______ to the cases in all respects other than what they were exposed to.

A. similar

B. identical

C. opposite

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Medium

30. Ecological research design studies only be undertaken when individual-level data are ______.

A. consistent

B. unavailable

C. known

D. biased

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cohort Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. The observational researcher should always randomly assign the participants to the exposure.

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Observational research examines the effects of exposure to a variable of interest that is under the control of the researcher.

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. An OR = 1 means exposure does not affect the odds of developing the outcome.

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. When data are collected on the exposure and outcome simultaneously at one point in time, causality cannot be established.

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. The exposure variable in observational research could serve as the independent variable in a study examining a direct relationship.

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Easy

Short Answer

1. How might external validity invalidate a study?

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Case-Control Research Design

Difficulty Level: Hard

2. What does an ecological fallacy assume?

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ecological Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. How are ethical issues associated with observational research designs different than those associated with experimental and quasi-experimental designs?

Learning Objective: 10.3: Identify the diversity and ethical issues associated with observational research.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Ethics and Observational Research

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. In cross-sectional research, why can causality not be established?

Learning Objective: 10.2: Differentiate between the various types of observational research designs.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cross-Sectional Research Design

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Why is an observational research design conducted?

Learning Objective: 10.1: Identify the ways in which observational research can be used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Observational Research Defined

Difficulty Level: Easy