MSW 550 - Final Exam UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
What do the A and B stand for in a Single Case Evaluation Design? - CORRECT
ANSWER A = baseline; what SX are people presenting/severity of problem when they
come in, post treatment measurement
B = intervention/treatment; multiple measures during phase of intervention with the person
C, etc = other treatments
What are the key things you must do in a Single Case Study Design? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Figure out what it is you are going to measure (ID the target problem and
you will measure and develop an operational definition of the variable)
- Has to be something that the patient can report seeing change week to week
- Want to test baseline 5-8 times
- Want to build evidence that intervention is working or making a difference
What is a Single Case Evaluation Design? - CORRECT ANSWER - Single Case eval
is a type of time series design with individual cases or systems
- By identifying stable trends through repeated measures, internal validity is enhanced in this
design
- Researchers are able to identify when change in the DV occurs and whether or not that
change coincides with change in the IV
- A pattern of coincidence may be established that makes alternative explanations unlikely
Different patterns in baseline phase - CORRECT ANSWER Increasing - (depends on
the operational def.)
Decreasing - (depends on the operational def.)
Stable =
- one that shows the target problem to be occurring in a predictable and orderly fashion
(increasing, decreasing, cyclical or flat)
Unstable
,- fails to yield a predictable trend
- extend baseline measures until there is a stable pattern
Flat
Cyclical
What is the logic behind Single Case Designs? - CORRECT ANSWER - Control phase
= baseline (repeated measures of outcome); requires taking enough repeated measures to
make it unlikely that extraneous factors would account for improvements that take place in
the target problem with the onset of intervention; relies on comparing trends
- Experimental phase = an intervention is introduced and repeated outcome measures are
continued
- Control and experimental phase data are examined to ID coinciding shifts and trends in data
to make inferences about the effectiveness of the intervention
- when the preceding logic of time series analysis is applied to the evaluation of outcome with
individual cases
What is the distinctive feature of a Single Case Design in SW? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Sample size = 1
How does single case design apply to the logic of time series? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Single case designs apply the logic of time series designs to the evaluation
of practice effectiveness with a single case
- Involves obtaining repeated measures of a client system with regard to a particular outcome
indicators of a target problem
- Repeated measures of the trend in the target problem are obtained before a particular
intervention is introduced, and these repeated measures of the trend are continued after
intervention is introduced to see if a sustained pattern of improvement in the target
commences shortly after the onset of intervention
- Applied to the evaluation of outcome with single case designs
What are the major limitations and strengths of the Single Case Study Design in SW? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Limitation = Chief limitation is external
validity/generalizability (only having one sample) **alleviated through replication
- Limitation = Operationally defining target population and goals can be a measurement issue
, - Limitation = Choosing what to measure can be a measurement issue
- Limitation = the use of triangulation of measurement can be a measurement issue
- Limitation: generalizability
- Strength = High internal validity makes single case designs a useful tool for identifying
promising interventions for testing in subsequent studies
- Strength = Replication results in the accumulation of evidence to support generalizability
- Strength = Advances scientific basis of an intervention
- Strength = Useful in evaluating an agency or program
How is Single Case Design used as a part of EBP? - CORRECT ANSWER - Allows
practitioner to monitor client progress as part of EBP process
Obstacles in using Single Case Design as part of EBP process - CORRECT ANSWER -
Clients crises may not allow practitioners to collect sufficient baseline data
- Heavy caseloads increase difficulty of collecting repeated measures
- Peers and supervisors may not recognize the value of single case research
- Clients may resent extensive monitoring
Process of a single case design - CORRECT ANSWER 1. identity/assess the problem
area
2. establish mutually agreed upon goals (proximate/short term goals; distal goals/long term)
3. select single case design suitable and reasonable based on problem area and goals
4. gather baseline measurements
5. introduce treatment/intervention
6. Assess change/effects
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
What do the A and B stand for in a Single Case Evaluation Design? - CORRECT
ANSWER A = baseline; what SX are people presenting/severity of problem when they
come in, post treatment measurement
B = intervention/treatment; multiple measures during phase of intervention with the person
C, etc = other treatments
What are the key things you must do in a Single Case Study Design? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Figure out what it is you are going to measure (ID the target problem and
you will measure and develop an operational definition of the variable)
- Has to be something that the patient can report seeing change week to week
- Want to test baseline 5-8 times
- Want to build evidence that intervention is working or making a difference
What is a Single Case Evaluation Design? - CORRECT ANSWER - Single Case eval
is a type of time series design with individual cases or systems
- By identifying stable trends through repeated measures, internal validity is enhanced in this
design
- Researchers are able to identify when change in the DV occurs and whether or not that
change coincides with change in the IV
- A pattern of coincidence may be established that makes alternative explanations unlikely
Different patterns in baseline phase - CORRECT ANSWER Increasing - (depends on
the operational def.)
Decreasing - (depends on the operational def.)
Stable =
- one that shows the target problem to be occurring in a predictable and orderly fashion
(increasing, decreasing, cyclical or flat)
Unstable
,- fails to yield a predictable trend
- extend baseline measures until there is a stable pattern
Flat
Cyclical
What is the logic behind Single Case Designs? - CORRECT ANSWER - Control phase
= baseline (repeated measures of outcome); requires taking enough repeated measures to
make it unlikely that extraneous factors would account for improvements that take place in
the target problem with the onset of intervention; relies on comparing trends
- Experimental phase = an intervention is introduced and repeated outcome measures are
continued
- Control and experimental phase data are examined to ID coinciding shifts and trends in data
to make inferences about the effectiveness of the intervention
- when the preceding logic of time series analysis is applied to the evaluation of outcome with
individual cases
What is the distinctive feature of a Single Case Design in SW? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Sample size = 1
How does single case design apply to the logic of time series? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Single case designs apply the logic of time series designs to the evaluation
of practice effectiveness with a single case
- Involves obtaining repeated measures of a client system with regard to a particular outcome
indicators of a target problem
- Repeated measures of the trend in the target problem are obtained before a particular
intervention is introduced, and these repeated measures of the trend are continued after
intervention is introduced to see if a sustained pattern of improvement in the target
commences shortly after the onset of intervention
- Applied to the evaluation of outcome with single case designs
What are the major limitations and strengths of the Single Case Study Design in SW? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Limitation = Chief limitation is external
validity/generalizability (only having one sample) **alleviated through replication
- Limitation = Operationally defining target population and goals can be a measurement issue
, - Limitation = Choosing what to measure can be a measurement issue
- Limitation = the use of triangulation of measurement can be a measurement issue
- Limitation: generalizability
- Strength = High internal validity makes single case designs a useful tool for identifying
promising interventions for testing in subsequent studies
- Strength = Replication results in the accumulation of evidence to support generalizability
- Strength = Advances scientific basis of an intervention
- Strength = Useful in evaluating an agency or program
How is Single Case Design used as a part of EBP? - CORRECT ANSWER - Allows
practitioner to monitor client progress as part of EBP process
Obstacles in using Single Case Design as part of EBP process - CORRECT ANSWER -
Clients crises may not allow practitioners to collect sufficient baseline data
- Heavy caseloads increase difficulty of collecting repeated measures
- Peers and supervisors may not recognize the value of single case research
- Clients may resent extensive monitoring
Process of a single case design - CORRECT ANSWER 1. identity/assess the problem
area
2. establish mutually agreed upon goals (proximate/short term goals; distal goals/long term)
3. select single case design suitable and reasonable based on problem area and goals
4. gather baseline measurements
5. introduce treatment/intervention
6. Assess change/effects
