Research Methods for Social Work Exam Questions Answered Correctly Latest Update 2024 (Rated A+)
Social work researchers want to learn about the factors that increase academic and vocational success
for people with developmental disabilities. Fortunately, they have access to data from 4 assisted living
facilities that have a total of 160 residents. As experienced researchers, the social workers realize that
this population will display diversity in many characteristics. According to the text, what is the term
given to investigating the characteristics of a given population? - Answers group-specific characteristics
Jose has just completed a study on the effects of structural family therapy. His hypothesis was that there
would be a relationship between structural family therapy and preserving the family system. In terms of
constructing operational definitions for preserving the family system, he designed two separate
indicators: (1) family system residing in the same dwelling, and (2) the amount of emergency mental
health services. The findings of the research were that structural family therapy was related to the
family system residing in the same dwelling, but not to the amount of emergency mental health
services. What type of variable is preserving the family system? - Answers Dependent
The systems perspective benefits the profession of social work from framing understandings of family
dynamics to framing understandings of the social environment. Conceptually, the systems perspective
can also benefit research. According to the text, how do systems benefit our understanding of the
relationships among variables? - Answers Provides a useful context
Gail is a social work faculty who is advising her students on becoming better consumers of research. One
of her suggestions is to think of research as a process, and a second suggestion is to develop an
understanding of research questions and hypotheses. One of Gail's students asks where research
questions and hypotheses are located in a study. What is her reply? - Answers Immediately prior to the
methodology heading
As part of a course in critical thinking, social work students are consuming research on the treatment of
alcoholism. They have found a wide range of literature on intervention outcomes and psychosocial
needs. Accordingly, there was also a wide variety of sampling approaches dispersed across the
literature. Being consumers of research, what should these students note about the sampling
procedures? - Answers Were the specific sampling procedures described?
Bob conducted a longitudinal study on recidivism for juvenile delinquents. He obtained a sample of 150
adolescents who have been petitioned or adjudicated as being delinquent. He measured recidivism by
reviewing police records. What does it mean to have longitudinal research? - Answers Data collected at
two or more points in time
Angelo has just completed a project on understanding the relationship among age and outcomes for
depressed clients. The findings were that age was inversely associated with outcomes. The findings had
implications for the behavioral health center because the research was a census study. What is a census
study? - Answers Every depressed client in the agency is included
, A student completes a literature review on the effects of trauma on soldiers returning from combat.
During this process an interesting trend emerges on males and females having different responses to
combat trauma. Therefore, the student decides to prepare a research project that detects gender
differences in the manifestation of combat trauma. What type of data analysis describes trends for one
variable? - Answers Descriptive
Forced-response questions are often referred to as close-ended questions. They tend to facilitate a
concrete response to one of several alternatives on any given questions. Identify the forced-response
question and response categories on a survey for interpersonal violence. - Answers I have observed
interpersonal violence this year (1= no and 2 = yes)
A research team decides to use a pie chart to display findings on a recycling program. According to the
chart, 56% of respondents believe that the municipality should pick-up recycling on a weekly basis, 16%
believe that it is up to individual to drop-off materials at a recycling center, and 14% believe that the
municipality should pick-up recycling on a monthly basis. The variable for this information is identified as
recycling options. What level of measurement are the variable recycling options? - Answers Nominal
Working with a team of researchers can be challenging, whether it pertains to divergent opinions,
perspectives, or even personalities. It is possible that members of a research team may debate the
merits of including some findings, while diligently advocating for the inclusion of others. According
to the text, where in the research report can findings be placed if there is debate? - Answers Appendix
A study is conducted to explain the academic achievements of students in an experiential learning
environment. A student-centered theory frames the study as researchers draw the hypothesis directly
from the theoretical expectations. Further, academic achievement is defined as the students' GPA over
the course of one calendar year. What type of research is described in this vignette? - Answers
Deductive
Jake, in a research study on bereavement wants to understand more about the grieving process.
Therefore one of the concepts he studys is acceptance. He found that acceptance levels are different
among the research participants from low acceptance to high acceptance. Overall, 17% of the
participants report low acceptance and 33% report high acceptance. The remaining 50% are dispersed
among the categories of low to moderate, moderate, and moderate to high. In terms of measurement,
what is acceptance in this vignette? - Answers variable
Hypotheses are tested in explanatory research to determine if there are relationships among variables.
There are several types of variables in social work research including independent, dependent, and
extraneous variables. In explanatory research a hypothesis is basically an educated guess of the
relationships among variables. According to the text, how is a hypothesis generated? - Answers
exploratory studies
Chapter seven reveals three key questions that need to be asked after it is determined whether the
research design is exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory. Answers to these questions will form the
Social work researchers want to learn about the factors that increase academic and vocational success
for people with developmental disabilities. Fortunately, they have access to data from 4 assisted living
facilities that have a total of 160 residents. As experienced researchers, the social workers realize that
this population will display diversity in many characteristics. According to the text, what is the term
given to investigating the characteristics of a given population? - Answers group-specific characteristics
Jose has just completed a study on the effects of structural family therapy. His hypothesis was that there
would be a relationship between structural family therapy and preserving the family system. In terms of
constructing operational definitions for preserving the family system, he designed two separate
indicators: (1) family system residing in the same dwelling, and (2) the amount of emergency mental
health services. The findings of the research were that structural family therapy was related to the
family system residing in the same dwelling, but not to the amount of emergency mental health
services. What type of variable is preserving the family system? - Answers Dependent
The systems perspective benefits the profession of social work from framing understandings of family
dynamics to framing understandings of the social environment. Conceptually, the systems perspective
can also benefit research. According to the text, how do systems benefit our understanding of the
relationships among variables? - Answers Provides a useful context
Gail is a social work faculty who is advising her students on becoming better consumers of research. One
of her suggestions is to think of research as a process, and a second suggestion is to develop an
understanding of research questions and hypotheses. One of Gail's students asks where research
questions and hypotheses are located in a study. What is her reply? - Answers Immediately prior to the
methodology heading
As part of a course in critical thinking, social work students are consuming research on the treatment of
alcoholism. They have found a wide range of literature on intervention outcomes and psychosocial
needs. Accordingly, there was also a wide variety of sampling approaches dispersed across the
literature. Being consumers of research, what should these students note about the sampling
procedures? - Answers Were the specific sampling procedures described?
Bob conducted a longitudinal study on recidivism for juvenile delinquents. He obtained a sample of 150
adolescents who have been petitioned or adjudicated as being delinquent. He measured recidivism by
reviewing police records. What does it mean to have longitudinal research? - Answers Data collected at
two or more points in time
Angelo has just completed a project on understanding the relationship among age and outcomes for
depressed clients. The findings were that age was inversely associated with outcomes. The findings had
implications for the behavioral health center because the research was a census study. What is a census
study? - Answers Every depressed client in the agency is included
, A student completes a literature review on the effects of trauma on soldiers returning from combat.
During this process an interesting trend emerges on males and females having different responses to
combat trauma. Therefore, the student decides to prepare a research project that detects gender
differences in the manifestation of combat trauma. What type of data analysis describes trends for one
variable? - Answers Descriptive
Forced-response questions are often referred to as close-ended questions. They tend to facilitate a
concrete response to one of several alternatives on any given questions. Identify the forced-response
question and response categories on a survey for interpersonal violence. - Answers I have observed
interpersonal violence this year (1= no and 2 = yes)
A research team decides to use a pie chart to display findings on a recycling program. According to the
chart, 56% of respondents believe that the municipality should pick-up recycling on a weekly basis, 16%
believe that it is up to individual to drop-off materials at a recycling center, and 14% believe that the
municipality should pick-up recycling on a monthly basis. The variable for this information is identified as
recycling options. What level of measurement are the variable recycling options? - Answers Nominal
Working with a team of researchers can be challenging, whether it pertains to divergent opinions,
perspectives, or even personalities. It is possible that members of a research team may debate the
merits of including some findings, while diligently advocating for the inclusion of others. According
to the text, where in the research report can findings be placed if there is debate? - Answers Appendix
A study is conducted to explain the academic achievements of students in an experiential learning
environment. A student-centered theory frames the study as researchers draw the hypothesis directly
from the theoretical expectations. Further, academic achievement is defined as the students' GPA over
the course of one calendar year. What type of research is described in this vignette? - Answers
Deductive
Jake, in a research study on bereavement wants to understand more about the grieving process.
Therefore one of the concepts he studys is acceptance. He found that acceptance levels are different
among the research participants from low acceptance to high acceptance. Overall, 17% of the
participants report low acceptance and 33% report high acceptance. The remaining 50% are dispersed
among the categories of low to moderate, moderate, and moderate to high. In terms of measurement,
what is acceptance in this vignette? - Answers variable
Hypotheses are tested in explanatory research to determine if there are relationships among variables.
There are several types of variables in social work research including independent, dependent, and
extraneous variables. In explanatory research a hypothesis is basically an educated guess of the
relationships among variables. According to the text, how is a hypothesis generated? - Answers
exploratory studies
Chapter seven reveals three key questions that need to be asked after it is determined whether the
research design is exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory. Answers to these questions will form the
