MSW Exam Questions with Verified
Solutions
Systems Theory - ANS-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 - ANS-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.
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 - ANS-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
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: - ANS-1) Differentiation of
Self
2) Triangles
3) Nuclear Family Emotional Process
4) Family Projection Process
5) Emotional Cutoff
6) Multigenerational Transmission Process
7) Sibling Position
8) Societal Emotional Process.
FAMILY THEORIES - ANS-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
can be known only by looking at the relationships and interactions among all members.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (pp. 44-45). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
The family systems approach is based on several basic assumptions: - ANS-1. Each
family is more than a sum of its members.
2. Each family is unique, due to the infinite variations in personal characteristics and
cultural and ideological styles.
3. A healthy family has flexibility, consistent structure, and effective exchange of
information.
4. The family is an interactional system whose component parts have constantly shifting
boundaries and varying degrees of resistance to change.
,5. Families must fulfill a variety of functions for each member, both collectively and
individually, if each member is to grow and develop.
6. Families strive for a sense of balance or homeostasis.
7. Negative feedback loops are those patterns of interaction that maintain stability or
constancy while minimizing change. Negative feedback loops help to maintain
homeostasis. Positive feedback loops, in contrast, are patterns of interaction that
facilitate change or movement toward either growth or dissolution.
8. Families are seen as being goal oriented. The concept of equifinality refers to the
ability of the family system to accomplish the same goals through different routes.
9. The concept of hierarchies describes how families organize themselves into various
smaller units or subsystems that are comprised by the larger family system. When the
members or tasks associated with each subsystem become blurred with those of other
subsystems, families have been viewed as having difficulties. For example, when a
child becomes involved in marital issues, difficulties often emerge that require
intervention.
10. Boundaries occur at every level of the system and between subsystems.
Boundaries influence the movement of people and the flow of information into and out of
the system. Some families have very open boundaries where members and others are
allowed to freely come and go without much restriction; in other famil
The family systems Key clinical issues include: - ANS--Establishing a contract with the
family
-Examining alliances within the family
-Identifying where power resides
-Determining the relationship of each family member to the problem
-Seeing how the family relates to the outside world
-Assessing influence of family history on current family interactions
-Ascertaining communication patterns
-Identifying family rules that regulate patterns of interaction
-Determining meaning of presenting symptom in maintaining family homeostasis
-Examining flexibility of structure and accessibility of alternative action patterns
-Finding out about sources of external stress and support The following are some types
of family therapy.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 46). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
The stages of group development are: - ANS-1. Preaffiliation— development of trust
(known as forming)
2. Power and control— struggles for individual autonomy and group identification
(known as storming)
3. Intimacy— utilizing self in service of the group (known as norming)
4. Differentiation— acceptance of each other as distinct individuals (known as
performing)
5. Separation/ termination— independence (known as adjourning)
, Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 50). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
Groups help through:
Factors affecting group cohesion include: - ANS-Instillation of hope Universality Altruism
Interpersonal learning Self-understanding and insight
Group size Homogeneity: similarity of group members Participation in goal and norm
setting for group Interdependence: dependent on one another for achievement of
common goals Member stability: frequent change in membership results in less
cohesiveness Contraindications for group: client who is in crisis; suicidal; compulsively
needy for attention; actively psychotic; and/ or paranoid
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (pp. 50-51). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
Group polarization - ANS-occurs during group decision making when discussion
strengthens a dominant point of view and results in a shift to a more extreme position
than any of the members would adopt on their own. These more extreme decisions are
toward greater risk if individuals' initial tendencies are to be risky and toward greater
caution if individuals' initial tendencies are to be cautious.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 52). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES - ANS-Psychodynamic theories explain the origin of the
personality. Although many different psychodynamic theories exist, they all emphasize
unconscious motives and desires, as well as the importance of childhood experiences in
shaping personality.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 52). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
Psychoanalytic Theory - ANS-Originally developed by Sigmund Freud, a client is seen
as the product of his past and treatment involves dealing with the repressed material in
the unconscious. According to psychoanalytic theory, personalities arise because of
attempts to resolve conflicts between unconscious sexual and aggressive impulses and
societal demands to restrain these impulses. Freud believed that behavior and
personality derive from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological
Solutions
Systems Theory - ANS-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 - ANS-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.
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 - ANS-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
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: - ANS-1) Differentiation of
Self
2) Triangles
3) Nuclear Family Emotional Process
4) Family Projection Process
5) Emotional Cutoff
6) Multigenerational Transmission Process
7) Sibling Position
8) Societal Emotional Process.
FAMILY THEORIES - ANS-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
can be known only by looking at the relationships and interactions among all members.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (pp. 44-45). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
The family systems approach is based on several basic assumptions: - ANS-1. Each
family is more than a sum of its members.
2. Each family is unique, due to the infinite variations in personal characteristics and
cultural and ideological styles.
3. A healthy family has flexibility, consistent structure, and effective exchange of
information.
4. The family is an interactional system whose component parts have constantly shifting
boundaries and varying degrees of resistance to change.
,5. Families must fulfill a variety of functions for each member, both collectively and
individually, if each member is to grow and develop.
6. Families strive for a sense of balance or homeostasis.
7. Negative feedback loops are those patterns of interaction that maintain stability or
constancy while minimizing change. Negative feedback loops help to maintain
homeostasis. Positive feedback loops, in contrast, are patterns of interaction that
facilitate change or movement toward either growth or dissolution.
8. Families are seen as being goal oriented. The concept of equifinality refers to the
ability of the family system to accomplish the same goals through different routes.
9. The concept of hierarchies describes how families organize themselves into various
smaller units or subsystems that are comprised by the larger family system. When the
members or tasks associated with each subsystem become blurred with those of other
subsystems, families have been viewed as having difficulties. For example, when a
child becomes involved in marital issues, difficulties often emerge that require
intervention.
10. Boundaries occur at every level of the system and between subsystems.
Boundaries influence the movement of people and the flow of information into and out of
the system. Some families have very open boundaries where members and others are
allowed to freely come and go without much restriction; in other famil
The family systems Key clinical issues include: - ANS--Establishing a contract with the
family
-Examining alliances within the family
-Identifying where power resides
-Determining the relationship of each family member to the problem
-Seeing how the family relates to the outside world
-Assessing influence of family history on current family interactions
-Ascertaining communication patterns
-Identifying family rules that regulate patterns of interaction
-Determining meaning of presenting symptom in maintaining family homeostasis
-Examining flexibility of structure and accessibility of alternative action patterns
-Finding out about sources of external stress and support The following are some types
of family therapy.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 46). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
The stages of group development are: - ANS-1. Preaffiliation— development of trust
(known as forming)
2. Power and control— struggles for individual autonomy and group identification
(known as storming)
3. Intimacy— utilizing self in service of the group (known as norming)
4. Differentiation— acceptance of each other as distinct individuals (known as
performing)
5. Separation/ termination— independence (known as adjourning)
, Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 50). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
Groups help through:
Factors affecting group cohesion include: - ANS-Instillation of hope Universality Altruism
Interpersonal learning Self-understanding and insight
Group size Homogeneity: similarity of group members Participation in goal and norm
setting for group Interdependence: dependent on one another for achievement of
common goals Member stability: frequent change in membership results in less
cohesiveness Contraindications for group: client who is in crisis; suicidal; compulsively
needy for attention; actively psychotic; and/ or paranoid
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (pp. 50-51). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
Group polarization - ANS-occurs during group decision making when discussion
strengthens a dominant point of view and results in a shift to a more extreme position
than any of the members would adopt on their own. These more extreme decisions are
toward greater risk if individuals' initial tendencies are to be risky and toward greater
caution if individuals' initial tendencies are to be cautious.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 52). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES - ANS-Psychodynamic theories explain the origin of the
personality. Although many different psychodynamic theories exist, they all emphasize
unconscious motives and desires, as well as the importance of childhood experiences in
shaping personality.
Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam
Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 52). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
Psychoanalytic Theory - ANS-Originally developed by Sigmund Freud, a client is seen
as the product of his past and treatment involves dealing with the repressed material in
the unconscious. According to psychoanalytic theory, personalities arise because of
attempts to resolve conflicts between unconscious sexual and aggressive impulses and
societal demands to restrain these impulses. Freud believed that behavior and
personality derive from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological
