Data Collections

What percentage of values fall within one standard deviation in a normal distribution?

A) 68%
B) 75%
C) 95%
D) 99%

Which of the following is most affected by outliers in a data set?

A) Mean
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Quartiles

Which of the following statements is TRUE about the standard deviation?

A) A small standard deviation means the data is widely spread
B) A large standard deviation means data is close to the mean
C) Standard deviation describes the central value of a data set
D) A standard deviation of zero means no variability in the data

Which measure of variation is calculated by subtracting the minimum value from the maximum value?

A) Standard deviation
B) Percentile
C) Quartile
D) Range

What does "reliability" refer to in measurement?

A) Accuracy of a measurement
B) Repeatability or consistency of a measurement
C) Relevance of a test to the subject's goals
D) Relationship between variables

Which factor would most likely decrease test-retest reliability?

A) High internal consistency
B) Short interval between tests
C) Learning or fatigue effects
D) Using the same instrument each time

What does external validity refer to?

A) Ability to draw cause-and-effect conclusions
B) Generalizability of results to other settings or populations
C) How consistent scores are over time
D) The appearance of being a valid test

Which of the following best represents intrarater reliability?

A) Three different clinicians obtain the same ROM values
B) A clinician gets similar results when testing ROM on three different people
C) One clinician records similar ROM results on the same person across multiple trials
D) The test has a strong correlation with another tool

Which concept is most associated with generalizability of research findings?

A) Internal validity
B) Content validity
C) External validity
D) Construct validity

A test consistently measures the same thing but does not measure what it's supposed to. This means:

A) High validity, low reliability
B) Low validity, high reliability
C) High construct validity
D) High content validity

Which of the following is an example of face validity?

A) A patient believes a range of motion test is relevant to their condition
B) A test includes questions on various physical functions
C) A survey is consistent with known theoretical concepts
D) A test produces the same result each time

Which of the following would most likely reduce interrater reliability?

A) A clearly defined measurement protocol
B) Use of calibrated instruments
C) Subjective interpretation of scoring
D) Repeated measures by the same tester

A physical therapy assessment tool has a high sensitivity. Why is it useful in early screening?

A) It detects most people without the disease
B) It identifies all false positives
C) It catches most people who do have the condition
D) It is highly specific

An occupational therapist is evaluating a patient’s ability to return to ADLs post-stroke. The patient demonstrates 20 lbs of grip strength in the dominant hand. What does this finding most likely indicate?

A. Grip strength is below functional level for ADLs
B. Patient requires assistive device for ADLs
C. Grip strength is within functional range for ADLs
D. Grip strength is excessive and may cause fatigue

A researcher is developing a new outcome measure for balance and wants to ensure the tool actually evaluates balance—not just strength. What psychometric property is being addressed?

A. Reliability
B. Standardization
C. Validity
D. Sensitivity

A clinical researcher is comparing smoking status and presence of COPD in two groups of patients. Which statistical test is most appropriate to determine the relationship between these two categorical variables?

A. T-test
B. ANOVA
C. Chi-square test
D. Linear regression

An MRI test for ACL tears shows a 95% ability to detect those who actually have the tear. This MRI result indicates the test is:

A. Highly specific
B. Lacks clinical value
C. Highly sensitive
D. Prone to false positives

A researcher is analyzing whether a balance training program directly improves fall prevention in older adults. She wants to be sure the improvements are due to the intervention and not other factors. Which concept is MOST relevant in determining if the observed changes are truly due to the intervention?

A. External validity
B. Face validity
C. Internal validity
D. Construct validity

A researcher calculates the most frequent score in a dataset from a PT student practical exam. Which statistical measure is she reporting?

A. Mean
B. Median
C. Standard deviation
D. Mode

A student reads that a gait speed measure has a 95% confidence interval of 1.1–1.3 m/s for older adults. What does this MOST likely indicate?

A. 95% of all adults walk at this speed
B. There’s a 95% chance the true value lies within this range
C. The data set has high variability
D. The p-value is less than 0.05

A new clinical test for carpal tunnel syndrome shows a very low rate of false negatives. What can be concluded about this test?

A. It is highly specific
B. It has poor validity
C. It has high sensitivity
D. It cannot rule out disease