Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real RAA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text
Which research bias occurs when participants behave differently because they know they are being observed in an annuity study?
Answer: Hawthorne effect
The Hawthorne effect describes the tendency for participants to change behavior simply because they are being observed or studied.
A study analyzing only annuity products that are still available on the market, ignoring discontinued ones, is susceptible to:
Answer: Survivorship bias
Survivorship bias occurs when only 'surviving' entities are analyzed, skewing results by excluding failed products.
In an annuity research study, 'statistical significance' (p < 0.05) means:
Answer: There is less than a 5% probability the result occurred by chance
A p-value below 0.05 indicates less than a 5% likelihood that the observed result is due to random chance alone.
Which qualitative research method is best suited for deeply exploring client motivations for purchasing annuities?
Answer: In-depth interviews
In-depth interviews allow researchers to explore subjective motivations, perceptions, and experiences in a flexible, open-ended manner.
When a financial research article reports a '95% confidence interval,' this means:
Answer: If the study were repeated 100 times, 95 intervals would contain the true population value
A 95% confidence interval means that if you repeated the study many times, 95% of computed intervals would capture the true parameter.
An annuity advisor reads a study funded by an annuity manufacturer showing their product outperforms competitors. The advisor should primarily consider:
Answer: Potential conflict of interest and funding bias
Funding bias is a known concern where sponsor-funded studies tend to favor the sponsor's products, requiring critical appraisal.
A researcher studying annuity surrender rates uses a 'random sample.' The primary purpose of random sampling is to:
Answer: Ensure the sample is representative of the broader population
Random sampling gives every member of the population an equal chance of selection, reducing bias and supporting generalizability.