Module 3: Quiz Questions

1. In a study that uses random assignment, ignoring the random assignment procedures would result in:

   1. Reducing the validity and usefulness of the study results.
   2. Conducting bad science
   3. Violating the protocol
   4. All of the above

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   d. All of the above

2. Telling the research participant the group they are in during a blinded study is...

   1. Acceptable because this knowledge of group assignment would help participants understand how they should behave during the study
   2. Unacceptable, because this knowledge of group assignment can influence how people behave and result in unreliable data.
   3. Honest because you should tell the participant everything about the study
   4. Harmful because if the participant knows what group they are in, they may be injured.

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   b. Unacceptable, because this knowledge of group assignment can influence how people behave and result in unreliable data.

3. Scenario: You are a community health worker involved with a nutrition study investigating the effects of a low-sodium diet on women with high blood pressure. Your responsibilities include recruiting women ages 30-50 who are not pregnant and who do not plan to become pregnant within the next year. In addition to recruiting and enrolling participants, you will collect measurements every 3 months over the course of one year. At the end of every completed measurement visit, the participant will receive $50 for their participation. The eligibility criteria, study activities and incentive payments are explained to the participant at enrollment. During the first measurement session with a participant you find out that she is 20 weeks pregnant. You wonder if she was unaware of her pregnancy when you enrolled her, or, perhaps she didn’t disclose her pregnancy because she wanted to participate. What should you do?

   1. Let the participant remain in the study and complete all measurements as required. If she hid the pregnancy at enrollment she likely needs the participation money.
   2. Explain to the participant that she is no longer eligible to take part in the study. Furthermore, participation would require her to modify her diet, which may be unsafe for her baby’s development.
   3. Complete the measurement visit with the participant. Afterwards, check with the study team about whether the participant can continue in the study since she no longer meets the eligibility criteria.

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   b. Explain to the participant that she is no longer eligible to take part in the study. Furthermore, participation would require her to modify her diet, which may be unsafe for her baby’s development.

4. When a participant has an equal chance of getting into all groups or treatments in an experiment it is called 

   1. random selection
   2. random assignment
   3. random error
   4. none of the above

   See Answer

   b. random assignment