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MSW Exam Questions and Answers with Solutions
UPDATED!!!
Systems Theory - ANSWER A system is a whole comprising
component parts that work together. Applied to social work,
systems theory views human behavior through larger contexts,
such as members of families, communities, and broader society.
Important to this theory is the concept that when one thing
changes within a system, the whole system is affected. Systems
tend toward equilibrium and can have closed or open
boundaries.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work
ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (p. 43). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
Systems Theory Applications to Social Work - ANSWER 1. Social
workers need to understand interactions between the micro,
meso, and macro levels.
2. Problems at one part of a system may be manifested at
another.
3. Ecomaps and genograms can help to understand system
dynamics.
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4. Understanding "person-in-environment" is essential to
identifying barriers or opportunities for change.
5. Problems and change are viewed within larger contexts.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work
ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (pp. 43-44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle
Edition.
Some System Theory Terms - ANSWER Closed system- uses up
its energy and dies
Differentiation- becoming specialized in structure and function
Entropy- closed, disorganized, stagnant; using up available
energy
Equifinality- arriving at the same end from different beginnings
homeostasis steady state
Input- obtaining resources from the environment that are
necessary to attain the goals of the system
Negative entropy- exchange of energy and resources between
systems that promote growth and transformation
Open system a system with cross-boundary exchange
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Output- product of the system that exports to the environment
Subsystem- a major component of a system made up of two or
more interdependent components that interact in order to
attain their own purpose( s) and the purpose( s) of the system
in which they are embedded
Suprasystem- an entity that is served by a number of
component systems organized in interacting relationships
throughput energy that is integrated into the system so it can
be used by the system to accomplish its goals
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work
ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (p. 44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
The eight interlocking concepts of Bowen Theory include: -
ANSWER 1) Differentiation of Self
2) Triangles
3) Nuclear Family Emotional Process
4) Family Projection Process
5) Emotional Cutoff
6) Multigenerational Transmission Process
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7) Sibling Position
8) Societal Emotional Process.
FAMILY THEORIES - ANSWER Family theory provides a
theoretical and therapeutic base for dealing with family-related
situations; it is also useful in understanding and managing
individual problems by determining the extent to which such
problems are related to family issues. A family systems
approach argues that in order to understand a family system, a
social worker must look at the family as a whole, rather than
focusing on its members. People do not exist in a vacuum. They
live, play, go to school, and work with other people. Most
anthropologists agree that, next to their peculiar tendency to
think and use tools, one of the distinguishing characteristics of
human beings is that they are social creatures. The social group
that seems to be most universal and pervasive in the way it
shapes human behavior is the family. For social workers, the
growing awareness of the crucial impact of families on clients
has led to the development of family systems theory. Family
systems theory searches for the causes of behavior, not in the
individual alone, but in the interactions among the members of
a group. The basic rationale is that all parts of the family are
interrelated. Further, the family has properties of its own that
MSW Exam Questions and Answers with Solutions
UPDATED!!!
Systems Theory - ANSWER A system is a whole comprising
component parts that work together. Applied to social work,
systems theory views human behavior through larger contexts,
such as members of families, communities, and broader society.
Important to this theory is the concept that when one thing
changes within a system, the whole system is affected. Systems
tend toward equilibrium and can have closed or open
boundaries.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work
ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (p. 43). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
Systems Theory Applications to Social Work - ANSWER 1. Social
workers need to understand interactions between the micro,
meso, and macro levels.
2. Problems at one part of a system may be manifested at
another.
3. Ecomaps and genograms can help to understand system
dynamics.
,2|Page
4. Understanding "person-in-environment" is essential to
identifying barriers or opportunities for change.
5. Problems and change are viewed within larger contexts.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work
ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (pp. 43-44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle
Edition.
Some System Theory Terms - ANSWER Closed system- uses up
its energy and dies
Differentiation- becoming specialized in structure and function
Entropy- closed, disorganized, stagnant; using up available
energy
Equifinality- arriving at the same end from different beginnings
homeostasis steady state
Input- obtaining resources from the environment that are
necessary to attain the goals of the system
Negative entropy- exchange of energy and resources between
systems that promote growth and transformation
Open system a system with cross-boundary exchange
,3|Page
Output- product of the system that exports to the environment
Subsystem- a major component of a system made up of two or
more interdependent components that interact in order to
attain their own purpose( s) and the purpose( s) of the system
in which they are embedded
Suprasystem- an entity that is served by a number of
component systems organized in interacting relationships
throughput energy that is integrated into the system so it can
be used by the system to accomplish its goals
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work
ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (p. 44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
The eight interlocking concepts of Bowen Theory include: -
ANSWER 1) Differentiation of Self
2) Triangles
3) Nuclear Family Emotional Process
4) Family Projection Process
5) Emotional Cutoff
6) Multigenerational Transmission Process
, 4|Page
7) Sibling Position
8) Societal Emotional Process.
FAMILY THEORIES - ANSWER Family theory provides a
theoretical and therapeutic base for dealing with family-related
situations; it is also useful in understanding and managing
individual problems by determining the extent to which such
problems are related to family issues. A family systems
approach argues that in order to understand a family system, a
social worker must look at the family as a whole, rather than
focusing on its members. People do not exist in a vacuum. They
live, play, go to school, and work with other people. Most
anthropologists agree that, next to their peculiar tendency to
think and use tools, one of the distinguishing characteristics of
human beings is that they are social creatures. The social group
that seems to be most universal and pervasive in the way it
shapes human behavior is the family. For social workers, the
growing awareness of the crucial impact of families on clients
has led to the development of family systems theory. Family
systems theory searches for the causes of behavior, not in the
individual alone, but in the interactions among the members of
a group. The basic rationale is that all parts of the family are
interrelated. Further, the family has properties of its own that
