Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real RMA 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
The 'safe withdrawal rate' research pioneered by Bengen (1994) was based primarily on:
Answer: Historical U.S. stock and bond return data using rolling 30-year periods
Bengen's foundational 4% rule research analyzed historical U.S. stock and bond returns using overlapping 30-year rolling periods.
When applying evidence-based practice, confirmation bias in retirement planning research occurs when an adviser:
Answer: Selectively emphasizes research supporting a pre-existing conclusion while ignoring contrary evidence
Confirmation bias leads practitioners to favor information that confirms their existing beliefs while discounting contradicting evidence.
A meta-analysis of retirement spending studies is most valuable because it:
Answer: Pools results from multiple studies to increase statistical power and generalizability
Meta-analyses combine data across multiple studies, increasing sample size, statistical power, and the reliability of conclusions.
In the context of retirement research, 'internal validity' refers to:
Answer: The degree to which a study accurately measures what it intends to measure and supports causal conclusions
Internal validity is the degree to which a study's design supports causal inference and accurately captures the relationship under study.
Which statistical measure is most appropriate for comparing variability in annual returns across two retirement portfolios with different mean returns?
Answer: Coefficient of variation
The coefficient of variation (standard deviation divided by mean) normalizes dispersion, allowing valid comparison of variability across datasets with different means.
Research consistently shows that sequence-of-returns risk is most damaging during which phase of retirement planning?
Answer: The early distribution phase when the portfolio balance is highest and withdrawals begin
Early retirement losses are most harmful because they reduce the asset base that would otherwise compound, and withdrawals lock in those losses.
An adviser evaluating a financial product study notes it was funded by the product manufacturer. The most appropriate response is to:
Answer: Apply greater scrutiny to methodology and seek independent corroborating research
Industry-funded research carries potential conflicts of interest, requiring heightened methodological scrutiny and corroboration from independent sources.