Deck 9: Observational Research: Case-Control and Cohort Designs

Question 1

What is the goal of retrospective case-control designs?

A) To draw inferences about how an antecedent condition varies within particular groups
B) To draw inferences about how an antecedent condition will influence future outcomes
C) To draw inferences about an antecedent condition that has caused the outcome
D) To draw inferences about an antecedent condition that has resulted in or is associated with the outcome

Answer 1

To draw inferences about an antecedent condition that has resulted in or is associated with the outcome

Question 2

Which of the following is a strength of case-control designs?

A) The results can be generalized to the population
B) Eliminates threats due to sampling biases
C) Allow the investigator to draw inferences about causality
D) Design is feasible and efficient

Answer 2

Design is feasible and efficient

Question 3

In which of the following designs is the investigator most likely to be justified in drawing causal inferences?

A) Cross-sectional designs
B) Retrospective designs
C) Longitudinal designs
D) All of the above

Answer 3

Longitudinal designs

Question 4

Which of the following is a basic requirement of single-group cohort designs?

A) A sample that maintains its status on the characteristic of interest over time
B) Assessments of different people about the same subject
C) Assessments occurring at two or more points in time
D) A sample that may serve as its own control

Question 5

What kind of interpretations can be made from cross-sectional designs?

A) Associations between variables
B) Causal relationships between variables
C) The strength of various treatments
D) Whether the independent variables were adequately manipulated

Question 6

What is the independent variable in case-control studies?

A) The characteristic that was manipulated within groups
B) The characteristic that was manipulated between groups
C) The characteristic or criterion that served as the basis for selection
D) The characteristic or criterion that subjects were matched on across conditions

Question 7

What is the role of the experimenter in observational research?

A) To manipulate the independent variables
B) To conduct psychological interventions
C) To experimentally control for extraneous factors
D) To assess different characteristics and their associations

Question 8

How should the control group be selected?

A) Control group should enrolled in treatment for the characteristic of interest
B) Control group should vary randomly on the characteristic of interest
C) Control group should allow the investigator to isolate the characteristic of interest
D) Control group should allow the investigator to statistically control for the characteristic of interest

Question 9

How do case-control and cohort designs differ?

A) In case-control, the groups are studied prospectively, but in cohort designs, the groups are studied retrospectively
B) In case-control, only one group is studied, but in cohort designs, more than one group is studied
C) In case-control, the groups are selected on the basis of an outcome that has already occurred, but in cohort designs, the groups are selected before the outcome has occurred
D) In case-control, the groups are selected before the outcome has occurred, but in cohort designs, the groups are selected on the basis of an outcome that has already occurred

Question 10

What is a cohort design?

A) A strategy in which the investigator studies an intact group or groups over time
B) A strategy in which the investigator manipulates an independent variable across groups and then looks at its effects over time
C) A strategy in which the investigator studies one individual over time
D) A strategy in which the investigator manipulates which subjects are randomly assigned

Question 11

How are accelerated multi-group cohort longitudinal designs accelerated?

A) By assessing smaller groups at subsequent measurements to complete the study more quickly
B) By assessing overlapping groups that cover the period of interest
C) By the use of retrospective measures to shorten the time period necessary for the study
D) By the use of computers to administer the materials more quickly to the subjects

Question 12

Which of the following is a weakness of cohort designs?

A) The large numbers of subjects is necessary to study phenomena with a low base rate
B) The outcome might bias the measurement of the characteristics of interest
C) Inferences are limited to association rather than making statements about variables over time
D) Protective factors of the subjects might bias their outcomes

Question 13

What is the goal of cross-sectional research?

A) To examine how factors that are associated with a characteristic of interest change over time
B) To examine factors that are associated with a particular characteristic of interest
C) To examine how manipulated factors interact with factors subjects are selected on
D) To examine factors that remain constant over time

Question 14

What is a case-control design?

A) A study in which the investigator forms groups of individuals who vary on the characteristic of interest and studies current or past features of that group
B) A study in which the investigator forms groups of individuals and manipulates an independent variable between those groups to measure its effects
C) A study in which the investigator examines one group of individuals in depth, over time
D) A study in which the investigator examines the role of group membership in the type of treatment individuals chose to engage in

Question 15

How might the selection of groups in observational studies affect the construct validity of the study?

A) Populations sampled from might be too general
B) Populations sampled from might not be representative
C) Subjects' status on the characteristic of interest might vary systematically
D) Subjects might show random variation on other characteristics of interest