Week 6 - Observational Studies: Descriptive Research and Exploratory Research

Question 1

what is the purpose of descriptive research?

Answer 1

• info is collected without changing the environment

- used when we have little knowledge of a phenomena and we want to describe it accurately and truthfully

Question 2

• characterizing a phenomenon or problem

- indicate norms, trends, needs, circumstances to inform and guide practice

Answer 2

descriptive research

Question 3

name the 4 “w” questions of descriptive research.

Answer 3

• who
• what
• when
• where

Question 4

descriptive research does not answer which 2 questions?

Answer 4

how and why things are the way they are

Question 5

the periodic table is an example of which type of research?

Answer 5

descriptive research

Question 6

name 6 types of descriptive research.

Answer 6

• developmental research
• normative research
• descriptive surveys
• case reports
• historical research
• qualitative research

Question 7

the description of developmental change and the sequencing of behaviors in people over time

Answer 7

developmental research

Question 8

name 2 types of developmental research.

Answer 8

• longitudinal

- cross-sectional

Question 9

name 4 negative aspects of longitudinal studies.

Answer 9

• money
• long-term commitment
• attrition
• confounding variables

Question 10

can choose people of all ages and compare all of their levels of development and abilities at the same time.

Answer 10

cross-sectional studies

Question 11

people born today are exposed to different effects and variables than people born 50 years ago.

Answer 11

period effects

Question 12

follows a cohort of subjects over time

Answer 12

longitudinal study

Question 13

name 2 examples of developmental research.

Answer 13

• erickson

- piaget

Question 14

what is the advantage of longitudinal research?

Answer 14

ability to accumulate data through intensive documentation of growth and change in the same individuals.

Question 15

studies a stratified group of subjects at one-point in time

Answer 15

cross-sectional method

Question 16

is the longitudinal or cross-sectional method used more often?

Answer 16

cross-sectional

Question 17

collection of data at one point in time

Answer 17

cross-sectional

Question 18

name 2 strengths of cross-sectional studies.

Answer 18

• cost-efficient

- fewer logistic problems

Question 19

name 1 disadvantage of cross-sectional studies.

Answer 19

cannot understand causal processes

Question 20

the purpose is to describe typical or standard values for characteristics of a given population

Answer 20

normative studies

Question 21

normative studies are usually directed towards which 5 areas?

Answer 21

• a specific age group
• gender
• occupation
• culture
• disability

Question 22

used for the unusual patient, innovative treatment approaches, diagnosis of rare conditions, etc.

Answer 22

case reports

Question 23

case reports have limited what?

Answer 23

external validity

Question 24

case reports have limited what?

Answer 24

external validity

Question 25

what is the purpose of observational research?

Answer 25

exploration of data to determine relationships among variables

Question 26

observational research can be used to ___ ___.

Answer 26

estimate risk

Question 27

name 5 factors to consider for causality.

Answer 27

- temporal sequence - strength of association - biological credibility - consistency - dose-response

Question 28

____ is more difficult to determine in observational studies.

Answer 28

causality

Question 29

why is causality more difficult to determine in observational studies?

Answer 29

bc there is no control or randomization

Question 30

name the 4 categories of causation

Answer 30

- necessary and sufficient - necessary but not sufficient - sufficient but not necessary - neither necessary nor sufficient

Question 31

name the 4 categories of causation

Answer 31

- necessary and sufficient - necessary but not sufficient - sufficient but not necessary - neither necessary nor sufficient

Question 32

- with exposure, condition always develops | - without exposure, condition never develops (other factors cannot trigger such disease)

Answer 32

necessary and sufficient

Question 33

name an example of a necessary and sufficient causation.

Answer 33

Tay-Sachs Disease

Question 34

exposure necessary for condition to develop, but can be mitigated by other factors present or absent (not everyone gets sick)

Answer 34

necessary but not sufficient

Question 35

name an example of a necessary but not sufficient causation.

Answer 35

covid

Question 36

the condition will NOT develop without the exposure

Answer 36

necessary

Question 37

one that can cause the outcome but other factors may be involved.

Answer 37

sufficient

Question 38

exposure alone can cause condition, but other factors can also cause it.

Answer 38

sufficient but not necessary

Question 39

name an example of a sufficient but not necessary causation.

Answer 39

weight gain

Question 40

sometimes condition develops with exposure, but other times condition may not develop with exposure

Answer 40

neither necessary nor sufficient

Question 41

name an example of a neither necessary nor sufficient

Answer 41

lung cancer

Question 42

name 2 types of longitudinal studies.

Answer 42

- prospective | - retrospective

Question 43

follow subject as they progress through treatment or disease course; designed to collect data following development of the research question.

Answer 43

prospective research

Question 44

examination of data that has been collected in the past

Answer 44

retrospective research

Question 45

name 3 challenges of a prospective longitudinal study.

Answer 45

- long time period to consistently collect data. - exposure status determined at start, with follow-up to see if outcome develops. - confounding can occur over time from other events and conditions

Question 46

name 2 challenges of a retrospective study.

Answer 46

- difficulty in defining variables | - records may not be complete

Question 47

retrospective studies are best for disorders with long ___ periods.

Answer 47

latency

Question 48

- considered a "snapshot" of a population. - data for exposure and outcome taken concurrently - can describe health status of a population at a point in time - possibility of reverse causation

Answer 48

cross-sectional studies

Question 49

the designated "outcome" may actually cause the "exposure"

Answer 49

reverse causation

Question 50

a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined period; group of individuals followed over time

Answer 50

cohort studies

Question 51

cohort studies can either be ___ or ___.

Answer 51

prospective or retrospective

Question 52

name 4 challenges for cohort studies.

Answer 52

- misclassification of exposure - bias - attrition - outcome may not occur in sufficient numbers

Question 53

___ studies are not appropriate for studying rare conditions.

Answer 53

cohort

Question 54

a method of observational investigation in which groups of individuals are purposely selected on the basis of whether or not they have the health condition under study.

Answer 54

case-control studies

Question 55

those with the target condition

Answer 55

cases

Question 56

those who do not have the target condition

Answer 56

controls

Question 57

____ studies are useful for studying rare conditions.

Answer 57

case-control

Question 58

____ studies are useful for studying rare conditions.

Answer 58

case-control

Question 58

____ studies are useful for studying rare conditions.

Answer 58

case-control

Question 59

a case-control study looks back in time to find the __ __ btwn a specific exposure and an outcome.

Answer 59

relative risk

Question 60

a ___ ___ of ppl who do not have the disease or who did not experience the event is used for comparison.

Answer 60

control group

Question 61

what is the goal of case-control studies?

Answer 61

to figure out the relationship btwn risk factors and disease or outcome and estimate the odds of an individual getting a disease or experiencing an event.

Question 62

name 5 challenges for case-control studies.

Answer 62

- selection bias - observation bias - recall bias - confounding - matching cases and controls on other relevant factors, such as age or gender

Question 63

cases and controls from otherwise similar population

Answer 63

selection bias

Question 64

those with a condition may have better recall of exposures

Answer 64

recall bias

Question 65

experimental design studies where we manipulate info

Answer 65

explanatory studies

Question 66

we do not manipulate anything, we just look at things happening in the world around us - to explore/find relationships

Answer 66

exploratory studies