(P11/12)Scientific Method, Research Design & Analysis

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering the scientific method, study design, variables, biases, ethics, and statistical concepts from the lecture notes.

What is the first step of the Scientific Method?

Ask a testable question.

Which step of the Scientific Method involves consulting journals and articles?

Research the question.

At what stage of the Scientific Method is an "if-then" statement created?

Developing the hypothesis.

During which Scientific Method step are new data collected?

Carrying out experimentation or observation.

What is the purpose of the FINER method?

To decide whether a research question should be pursued.

In the FINER method, what does "F" stand for and mean?

Feasible – the question can realistically be answered with available resources.

According to FINER, why must a question be Novel?

It should not have been conclusively answered before.

What control ensures the dependent variable changes when expected?

Positive control.

Which control checks that no change occurs in the dependent variable?

Negative control.

Define independent variable.

The factor manipulated by researchers.

Define dependent variable.

The outcome that changes in response to the independent variable.

What term describes a measurement’s closeness to the true value?

Accuracy (validity).

What term describes a measurement’s consistency on repeated trials?

Precision (reliability).

Why is randomization used in human-subject studies?

To evenly distribute differences between subjects across groups.

What does single-blind mean?

Only the participant (or assessor) is unaware of group assignment.

In a double-blind study, who is unaware of group assignments?

Both researchers and participants (often other staff as well).

How does blinding reduce the placebo effect?

By keeping participants (and/or researchers) unaware of treatment status, expectations are minimized.

Give an example of a binary variable.

Yes/No outcome or "better/worse" response.

What type of variable is weight loss in kilograms?

Continuous variable.

Socioeconomic status is an example of which variable type?

Categorical variable.

What distinguishes quantitative from qualitative data?

Quantitative are numerical; qualitative are non-numerical.

Describe a cohort study.

Groups differing by exposure are followed over time to observe outcomes.

Describe a cross-sectional study.

Exposure and outcome are measured at a single point in time.

Describe a case-control study.

Current cases and controls are compared by looking backward for exposures.

Which Hill’s criterion insists exposure must occur before outcome?

Temporality.

What Hill’s criterion refers to outcome increasing with higher exposure levels?

Dose-response relationship.

Define selection bias.

Systematic differences between participants selected and the population intended to be analyzed.

Define detection bias.

Prior knowledge of correlations prompts more intense search for related outcomes in certain groups.

What is observation (Hawthorne) bias?

Subjects alter behavior because they know they are being studied.

Differentiate bias from confounding.

Bias arises during data collection; confounding is an analysis error where a third variable distorts the association.

What ethical principle requires informed consent?

Respect for Persons.

Which ethical principle demands fair selection of subjects?

Justice.

What is equipoise in research ethics?

A genuine uncertainty about which intervention is superior; if lost, the study must stop.

Define population in statistics.

The entire group of individuals meeting the criteria of interest.

Define sample in statistics.

A subset of the population actually studied.

Differentiate parameter from statistic.

Parameter describes the whole population; statistic describes a sample.

What does high generalizability mean?

Study results apply widely because the sample is representative of the target population.

Statistical significance indicates results are unlikely due to .

Random chance.

What is clinical significance?

A measurable change that meaningfully improves patient health or outcomes.