Conflict resolution in healthcare MCQs With Answer

Introduction: Conflict resolution in healthcare is a critical competency for M.Pharm students who will work in multidisciplinary settings where patient safety, medication management, and team coordination are essential. This quiz set examines theoretical models of conflict, practical strategies like negotiation and mediation, and evidence-based approaches to measure and study conflict outcomes. Questions integrate research methodology and biostatistics — covering study designs, measurement instruments, reliability, validity, and appropriate statistical tests used to evaluate interventions. Practicing these MCQs will help students not only understand conflict dynamics but also design, analyze, and interpret studies that test conflict-resolution strategies in clinical and pharmaceutical settings.

Q1. What is the primary distinguishing feature of distributive versus integrative negotiation in healthcare team conflicts?

• Distributive negotiation treats resources as fixed and focuses on short-term gain
• Integrative negotiation assumes zero-sum outcomes and emphasizes positional bargaining
• Distributive negotiation prioritizes long-term relationship building over immediate outcomes
• Integrative negotiation avoids information sharing to maintain leverage

Correct Answer: Distributive negotiation treats resources as fixed and focuses on short-term gain

Q2. Which conflict management style in the Thomas-Kilmann model is characterized by high assertiveness and low cooperativeness and may be needed in urgent medication safety decisions?

• Accommodating
• Avoiding
• Competing
• Collaborating

Correct Answer: Competing

Q3. When designing a study to test a new conflict-resolution training for pharmacists, which design best controls for selection bias and supports causal inference?

• Cross-sectional survey
• Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
• Case series
• Ecological study

Correct Answer: Randomized controlled trial (RCT)

Q4. A researcher uses the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) survey. To assess internal consistency of the subscales, which statistical measure should be reported?

• Kappa coefficient
• Cronbach’s alpha
• Sensitivity and specificity
• Chi-square statistic

Correct Answer: Cronbach’s alpha

Q5. In a pre-post study evaluating conflict-resolution training, which statistical test is appropriate for comparing mean scores from the same participants before and after training if data are approximately normally distributed?

• Independent samples t-test
• Paired t-test
• Mann-Whitney U test
• Chi-square test

Correct Answer: Paired t-test

Q6. Which qualitative method is most appropriate to explore how nurses and pharmacists experience interprofessional conflict and its impact on medication errors?

• Systematic review
• Ethnography or in-depth interviews with thematic analysis
• Cross-sectional questionnaire
• Randomized controlled trial

Correct Answer: Ethnography or in-depth interviews with thematic analysis

Q7. When measuring conflict frequency using a Likert scale survey, which property indicates that higher scores consistently represent higher conflict across items?

• Face validity
• Construct validity
• Internal consistency reliability
• External validity

Correct Answer: Internal consistency reliability

Q8. A cluster randomized trial tests a mediation program delivered at the ward level. Which analytical concern is most important to account for in sample size and analysis?

• Individual response bias
• Intracluster correlation (ICC)
• Publication bias
• Recall bias

Correct Answer: Intracluster correlation (ICC)

Q9. Which outcome measure best captures the effectiveness of a conflict-resolution intervention aimed at improving team communication and reducing adverse drug events?

• Self-reported conflict tolerance score only
• Number of reported adverse drug events and validated communication scale
• Attendance at training sessions
• Opinion pieces in hospital newsletters

Correct Answer: Number of reported adverse drug events and validated communication scale

Q10. During data collection, two independent raters classify incidents as “conflict-related” or “not conflict-related”. Which statistic quantifies their agreement beyond chance?

• Pearson correlation coefficient
• Kappa statistic
• ANOVA F-statistic
• Cronbach’s alpha

Correct Answer: Kappa statistic

Q11. In an RCT measuring reduction in conflict score, the p-value is 0.03. What does this imply in the context of pre-specified alpha = 0.05?

• There is strong proof the intervention works for all hospitals
• The observed difference is unlikely due to chance alone at the 5% level
• The effect size is clinically large
• There is no evidence of any effect

Correct Answer: The observed difference is unlikely due to chance alone at the 5% level

Q12. When a conflict-resolution study uses multiple outcome comparisons without adjustment, what risk increases?

• Type II error (false negatives)
• Type I error (false positives)
• Measurement reliability
• External validity

Correct Answer: Type I error (false positives)

Q13. Which sampling method is most appropriate to ensure representation across different professional groups (pharmacists, nurses, physicians) in a study of interprofessional conflict?

• Simple random sampling of all staff without stratification
• Convenience sampling of volunteers
• Stratified sampling by profession
• Snowball sampling

Correct Answer: Stratified sampling by profession

Q14. A study reports an effect size (Cohen’s d) of 0.8 for reduced conflict after training. How is this magnitude commonly interpreted?

• Negligible effect
• Small effect
• Medium effect
• Large effect

Correct Answer: Large effect

Q15. In mixed-methods research on conflict resolution, what is the main advantage of combining qualitative and quantitative approaches?

• It eliminates the need for sample size calculation
• It provides both numerical measurement and contextual understanding
• It guarantees statistically significant results
• It shortens study duration

Correct Answer: It provides both numerical measurement and contextual understanding

Q16. Which ethical consideration is especially important when studying conflict events that involve identifiable staff or patient incidents?

• Blinding of investigators to intervention
• Ensuring confidentiality and non-punitive reporting
• Randomization at individual level
• Using only retrospective administrative data

Correct Answer: Ensuring confidentiality and non-punitive reporting

Q17. If baseline conflict scores differ substantially between control and intervention groups in a non-randomized study, which analytical method can help adjust for these differences?

• Kaplan-Meier survival analysis
• Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusting for baseline
• Chi-square test of independence
• Descriptive statistics only

Correct Answer: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusting for baseline

Q18. What is a common limitation of using self-reported surveys to measure conflict frequency and severity among healthcare staff?

• They always provide objective incident counts
• They may be influenced by social desirability and recall bias
• They are immune to sampling error
• They require no validation

Correct Answer: They may be influenced by social desirability and recall bias

Q19. In implementation research, which outcome addresses whether a conflict-resolution program was delivered as intended across wards?

• Effectiveness
• Fidelity
• External validity
• Construct validity

Correct Answer: Fidelity

Q20. Which statistical approach is most appropriate to analyze a repeated-measures dataset of conflict scores measured monthly over 6 months in the same staff members?

• Simple linear regression without accounting for correlation
• Repeated measures ANOVA or mixed-effects linear model accounting for within-subject correlation
• Cross-tabulation with chi-square tests
• Independent samples t-tests for each month pair

Correct Answer: Repeated measures ANOVA or mixed-effects linear model accounting for within-subject correlation

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