Social Work Comprehensive Exam
Questions and Answers
Which of the following approaches proposes that the superego is the personality
structure that guides moral development?
A. Social learning approach
B. Behavioral developmental approach
C. Psychodynamic approach
D. Cognitive developmental approach - correct Answer-C. Psychodynamic approach
A __________________ is a set of persons who were born at the same historical time
and who experience particular social changes within a given culture in the same
sequence and age.
Support group
Class
Cohort
Subsystem - correct Answer-Cohort
________ is the ability of an individual, family, group, community or organization to
recover from adversity and resume functioning even when suffering serious trouble,
confusion, or hardship.
Transitions
Adaptation
Strength
Resilience - correct Answer-Resilience
This perspective emphasizes the importance of relationships between systems within
an environment and considers how the environment affects human development,
interaction, and quality of life.
,Sociopsychological perspective
Human ecology perspective
Theoretical community perspective
Structural perspective - correct Answer-Human ecology perspective
A primary goal within the area of Social Work is that of empowering people. The
concept of empowerment in social work is defined as _________.
None of the above
Increasing personal, interpersonal, or financial resources of individuals to help them
take action to improve their situations
Increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals can take action
to improve their situations
Increasing client political power and financial resources to improve their situations -
correct Answer-Increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals
can take action to improve their situations
According to Mary Ainsworth's theory of attachment, when a child uses the mother as a
home base and feels comfortable leaving this base to explore their environment. This is
considered to be which of the following types of attachment?
Avoidant attachment
Secure attachment
Positive attachment
Anxious attachment - correct Answer-Secure attachment
Which of the following approaches proposes that behavior is shaped by environmental
reinforcements and punishments?
Behavioral developmental approach
Psychodynamic approach
Cognitive developmental approach
Social learning approach - correct Answer-Social learning approach
,In this stage within Piaget's cognitive development, children begin to think logically on a
concrete level, begin to develop the capacity to think from other points of view, and the
child develops the ability to conceptualize in terms of reversibility.
Sensorimotor Stage
Preoperational Stage
Concrete Operational Stage
Formal Operational Stage - correct Answer-Concrete Operational Stage
_________ is the systematic denial of access to assets, economic opportunities,
associations, and organizations based on minority status.
Institutional racism
Resource diffusion
Socialism
Capitalism - correct Answer-Institutional racism
This perspective focuses on how chronological age, relationships, common life
transitions and social change shape people's lives from birth to death.
Life course perspective
Person-in-environment perspective
Developmental perspective
Identity development perspective - correct Answer-Life course perspective
According to Kohlberg's stages of moral development, in the postconventional stage
greater emphasis is placed on contemplation of ethical principles and the development
of a _________.
Spiritual base
, Global conscience
Mindful awareness
Moral conscience - correct Answer-Moral conscience
___________ refers to the conclusion of the social worker/client intervention process. It
occurs when goals are reached, when the specified time for working has ended, or
when the client is no longer interested in continuing.
Termination
Triangulation
Output
Goal Displacement - correct Answer-Termination
Peck in his theories of psychological development, contends that for an individual to
experience successful psychological adjustment in middle adulthood, they must
encounter various psychological advances. All of the following are advances critical to
successful adjustment according to Peck, EXCEPT:
Socializing versus sexualizing in human relationships
Valuing wisdom versus valuing physical powers
Culminating life structure versus early adult transition
Emotional flexibility versus emotional impoverishment - correct Answer-Culminating life
structure versus early adult transition
__________ begins with the idea that development is a lifelong process and is based
on the ongoing transactions between persons and environments.
Life Span theory
Moral Development theory
Gain-Loss theory
Life Stages theory - correct Answer-Life Span theory
Erikson theorized that people in middle adulthood experience psychosocial struggles.
According to his model of psychosocial development this is known as the crisis of:
Questions and Answers
Which of the following approaches proposes that the superego is the personality
structure that guides moral development?
A. Social learning approach
B. Behavioral developmental approach
C. Psychodynamic approach
D. Cognitive developmental approach - correct Answer-C. Psychodynamic approach
A __________________ is a set of persons who were born at the same historical time
and who experience particular social changes within a given culture in the same
sequence and age.
Support group
Class
Cohort
Subsystem - correct Answer-Cohort
________ is the ability of an individual, family, group, community or organization to
recover from adversity and resume functioning even when suffering serious trouble,
confusion, or hardship.
Transitions
Adaptation
Strength
Resilience - correct Answer-Resilience
This perspective emphasizes the importance of relationships between systems within
an environment and considers how the environment affects human development,
interaction, and quality of life.
,Sociopsychological perspective
Human ecology perspective
Theoretical community perspective
Structural perspective - correct Answer-Human ecology perspective
A primary goal within the area of Social Work is that of empowering people. The
concept of empowerment in social work is defined as _________.
None of the above
Increasing personal, interpersonal, or financial resources of individuals to help them
take action to improve their situations
Increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals can take action
to improve their situations
Increasing client political power and financial resources to improve their situations -
correct Answer-Increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals
can take action to improve their situations
According to Mary Ainsworth's theory of attachment, when a child uses the mother as a
home base and feels comfortable leaving this base to explore their environment. This is
considered to be which of the following types of attachment?
Avoidant attachment
Secure attachment
Positive attachment
Anxious attachment - correct Answer-Secure attachment
Which of the following approaches proposes that behavior is shaped by environmental
reinforcements and punishments?
Behavioral developmental approach
Psychodynamic approach
Cognitive developmental approach
Social learning approach - correct Answer-Social learning approach
,In this stage within Piaget's cognitive development, children begin to think logically on a
concrete level, begin to develop the capacity to think from other points of view, and the
child develops the ability to conceptualize in terms of reversibility.
Sensorimotor Stage
Preoperational Stage
Concrete Operational Stage
Formal Operational Stage - correct Answer-Concrete Operational Stage
_________ is the systematic denial of access to assets, economic opportunities,
associations, and organizations based on minority status.
Institutional racism
Resource diffusion
Socialism
Capitalism - correct Answer-Institutional racism
This perspective focuses on how chronological age, relationships, common life
transitions and social change shape people's lives from birth to death.
Life course perspective
Person-in-environment perspective
Developmental perspective
Identity development perspective - correct Answer-Life course perspective
According to Kohlberg's stages of moral development, in the postconventional stage
greater emphasis is placed on contemplation of ethical principles and the development
of a _________.
Spiritual base
, Global conscience
Mindful awareness
Moral conscience - correct Answer-Moral conscience
___________ refers to the conclusion of the social worker/client intervention process. It
occurs when goals are reached, when the specified time for working has ended, or
when the client is no longer interested in continuing.
Termination
Triangulation
Output
Goal Displacement - correct Answer-Termination
Peck in his theories of psychological development, contends that for an individual to
experience successful psychological adjustment in middle adulthood, they must
encounter various psychological advances. All of the following are advances critical to
successful adjustment according to Peck, EXCEPT:
Socializing versus sexualizing in human relationships
Valuing wisdom versus valuing physical powers
Culminating life structure versus early adult transition
Emotional flexibility versus emotional impoverishment - correct Answer-Culminating life
structure versus early adult transition
__________ begins with the idea that development is a lifelong process and is based
on the ongoing transactions between persons and environments.
Life Span theory
Moral Development theory
Gain-Loss theory
Life Stages theory - correct Answer-Life Span theory
Erikson theorized that people in middle adulthood experience psychosocial struggles.
According to his model of psychosocial development this is known as the crisis of:
