The Practice Questions Flashcards
(79 cards)
1
Q
- To be concerned with ontology is to study:
A)reading
B)what exists
C)ethical decisions
D)correlations
A
B)what exists
2
Q
- Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with:
A)the nature of ethics
B)the nature of knowledge
C)the nature of existence
D)the nature of beauty
A
B)the nature of knowledge
3
Q
- A paradigm that emphasizes the existence of a perfectly knowable reality is:
A)Positivism
B)Postpositivism
C)Critical theory
D)Constructivism
A
A)Positivism
4
Q
- A paradigm that emphasizes historical, political, ethnic, and power relations is:
A)Positivism
B)Postpositivism
C)Critical theory
D)Constructivism
A
C)Critical theory
5
Q
- Deception may be considered ethical if:
A.The information acquired in the end is known to be very valuable.
B.The researcher can be reasonably confident that the participants will not suffer long-term damage.
C.The clients never know they are being deceived.
D.The deception is deemed relatively harmless and there is no alternative non-deception method that can be used.
A
D.The deception is deemed relatively harmless and there is no alternative non-deception method that can be used.
6
Q
- What should be the first step in all social work research?
A. Identification of the research problem.
B. Formulation of the research hypothesis.
C. Selection of the statistical analysis that will be used.
D. Selection of the research design.
A
A. Identification of the research problem.
7
Q
- Donna wants to know how anxiety disorders and ethnicity are related. She wants to ensure that her sample resembles the population. What type of sampling would Donna need to use for her study?
a.Quota Sampling
b.Purposive Sampling
c.Cluster Random Sampling
d.Stratified Random Sampling
A
d.Stratified Random Sampling
8
Q
- What does it mean when we conclude that a measurement of a variable is reliable?
a.It has been shown to produce consistent results under a variety of conditions.
b.It is free from sampling bias.
c.It measures what it is supposed to measure.
d.It is free from threats to internal validity.
A
a.It has been shown to produce consistent results under a variety of conditions.
9
Q
- Which of the followings is determined by demonstrating that scores on the measuring instrument are consistent with some other accepted indicator of the same variable?
a.Face validity
b.Construct validity
c.Content validity
d.Criterion validity
A
b.Construct validity
10
Q
- In the research hypothesis, “Clients who complete job training Program A will have greater success in finding employment than clients who complete Program B,” what is the variable “program completed”?
a.the independent variable
b.the dependent variable
c.a demographic variable
d.a confounding variable
A
a.the independent variable
11
Q
- In general, as sample size increases:a. the standard error increases in size
b. the standard error decreases in size
c. the standard error stays the same regardless of changes in the sample size
d. none of the above
A
b. the standard error decreases in size
12
Q
- Which of the following set of terms illustrates the use of the deductive approach for research?
A.Observation, confirmation (or disconfirmation) of the theory, theory, hypothesis.
B.Theory, hypotheses, observation, confirmation (or disconfirmation) of the theory.
C.Observation, hypotheses, theory, confirmation (or disconfirmation) of the theory.
D.Theory, observation, hypotheses, confirmation (or disconfirmation) of the theory.
A
B.Theory, hypotheses, observation, confirmation (or disconfirmation) of the theory.
13
Q
- “Students taught first aid by programmed instruction will achieve at a higher level than those taught first aid by the traditional method.” The independent variable in this hypothesis is:
A) students
B) level of achievement
C) programmed instruction
D) method of instruction
A
D) method of instruction
14
Q
- In the example in question 9, the dependent variable is:
A) students
B) level of achievement
C) programmed instruction
D) method of instruction
A
B) level of achievement
15
Q
- The control group in an experimental design is the group that receives:
a.the confounding variable
b.the dependent variable
c.the independent variable
d.no treatment
A
d.no treatment
16
Q
- A negative correlation suggests that:
a.High values of one variable are found with high values of another variable.
b.Low values of one variable are found with low values of another variable.
c.High values of one variable are found with low values of other variable.
d.Both a and b are correct.
A
c.High values of one variable are found with low values of other variable.
17
Q
- Sampling method that involve a multistage process: a listing of cases followed by random sampling of groups of cases rather than individual cases is called:
a.Random
b.Systematic random
c.Stratified random
d.Cluster
A
d.Cluster
18
Q
- A researcher conducts personal interviews with social work students to measure their interest in social justice issues. She then categorizes each student as either “disinterested,” “somewhat interested,” or “very interested.” What level of measurement of the variable does she have?
a.nominal
b.ordinal
c.interval
d.ratio
A
b.ordinal
19
Q
- What is the independent/dependent variable in the hypothesis: “The more hours students take to prepare for an exam, the higher their exam grade is likely to be.”
a.hours/exam grade
b.exam grade/hours
c.students/hours
d.hours/student
A
a.hours/exam grade
20
Q
- The dependent variable is so called because:
A) scores on this variable are hypothesized to depend on, and vary with, the value of the independent variable
B) the outcome of an experiment is hypothesized to depend on the effect that this variable has on the independent variable
C) scores on this variable can be expected not to vary in an experiment
D) scores on this variable depend on how they are manipulated by the researcher
A
A) scores on this variable are hypothesized to depend on, and vary with, the value of the independent variable
21
Q
- The first step in the research process is:a. data collection
b. sampling design
c. operationally defining concepts
d. formulating the research question
A
d. formulating the research question
22
Q
- A researcher who decides to deceive participants in a study should:
A) determine that the study cannot be done without deception
B) argue convincingly that the importance of the study justifies deception
C) undeceive participants as soon as possible
D) all of the above
A
D) all of the above
23
Q
- Whether or not a given study has the possibility of causing harm to participants:
A) can be determined by examining the pertinent legal documents
B) must be determined by a review board established by the sponsoring institution
C) depends on whether or not any experimentation is involved
D) depends on the researcher’s definition of harm
A
B) must be determined by a review board established by the sponsoring institution
24
Q
- Confidentiality requires that:
A) it be impossible to connect data to individuals
B) all data be collected anonymously
C) access to collected data be limited to research staff
D) participants not be asked for personal information
A
A) it be impossible to connect data to individuals
25
25. Informed consent to serve as a subject in research requires signing a document that states:
A) the purpose of the study
B) that the subject may end participation at any time
C) the probable risks involved
D) all of the above
D) all of the above
26
26. The first step in selecting a sample should be to:
A) define the population
B) decide how to stratify the population
C) compile a list of the population
D) determine how to randomize
A) define the population
27
27. Generalizing research findings from a sample to the population is most likely to be justifiable when:
A) a small systematic sample is used
B) cluster sampling is used in a large, heterogeneous population
C) the null hypothesis is confirmed, regardless of the sampling procedures used
D) a large random sample is used
D) a large random sample is used
28
28. A research worker plans to evaluate high school students' reactions to a new policy on closed campus stations. He locates himself near the office of the dean, where he interviews every fourth student who visits the dean. He eventually secures data from 100 interviews and publishes his findings as the "Reactions of high school students to a new policy for a closed campus." What may be wrong with this approach?
A) Too small a sample
B) Inadequately defined problem
C) Inadequate techniques of analysis
D) Biased sample
D) Biased sample
29
29. The most important consideration in selecting a sample is that the sample be:
A) selected from the population by means of a table of random numbers
B) made up of a large number of subjects
C) representative of the population
D) selected from a large number of individuals or elements
C) representative of the population
30
30. An independent variable is :
a. a theoretical concept
b. a variable influencing other variables
c. a variable influenced by other variables
d. a set of attributes
b. a variable influencing other variables
31
31. A measurement instrument can be:
a. valid and not reliable
b. reliable and not valid
c. valid and reliable
d. both b and c
d. both b and c
32
32.You are a social worker at an agency that pays people’s gas and electrical bills. You ask your clients to participate in a survey and every one of them agrees. This could reflect an ethical problem concerning:
a. gender insensitivity
b. weighing benefits and costs
c. voluntary participation
d. all of the above
c. voluntary participation
33
33.The variable “educational level” was measured as the number of years of post-secondary school completed. What level of measurement is being used?
a. nominal
b. ordinal
c. interval
d. ratio
d. ratio
34
34.If we find that rates of behavioural disorder are lower among children who are more active in sports, then we have found what type of relationship?
a. positive
b. causal
c. negative
d. curvilinear
c. negative
35
35. In the process of operationalization, a researcher must decide:
a. how and what to measure
b. the use of multiple or single indicators
c. what level of measurement to use
d. all of the above
a. how and what to measure
36
36.You are doing research on social workers with different levels of training - diploma, BSW, MSW, and Ph.D.s. You want to be sure that your sample will include cases in each of the levels. You also want to use probability sampling. An appropriate strategy would be:
a. systematic random sampling
b. quota sampling
c. accidental sampling
d. stratified sampling
d. stratified sampling
37
37.Professor Csiernik gave an exam to his 3070.03 research class on Tuesday. On Thursday he gives the same class the same exam. He was clearly interested in assessing the exam’s:
a. reliability
b. validity
c. precision
d. comprehensiveness
a. reliability
38
38.Most social scientists would not accept the conceptualization of IQ as foot size because such a measurement would lack:
a. precision
b. reliability
c. accuracy
d. validity
d. validity
39
39. Social worker researchers look at different variables to try and determine causal relationships. Which variable is assumed to be the presumed cause?
A. Independent
B. Dependent
C. Confounding
D. Hypothesis
A. Independent
40
40.A variable that interacts with the dependent and independent variables in such a way to make them appear less closely related then they really are is a(n)
A. control variable
B. confounding variable
C. antecedent variable
D. intervenous variable
B. confounding variable
41
41.What is the direction in the following hypothesis? The more hours students take to prepare for an exam, the higher their exam grade is likely to be.
A. positive direction
B. negative direction
C. no direction
D. unable to determine direction
A. positive direction
42
42. The level of measurement that results when cases are only grouped into discrete categories (for example, “single” or “married”) is:
A. interval.
B. ratio.
C. nominal.
D. ordinal.
C. nominal.
43
43. One question on a survey states, “identify the time (in years) that you have been sober.” Subsequent responses to this question are: 0, 1,2, 3 What level of measurement is this question?
A. Standard
B. Nominal
C. Ordinal
D. Ratio
D. Ratio
44
44. A counselor wants to survey the client population in the center. There are 100 clients in the center. The center does not have the money to survey all of the clients. They decide to survey 25 clients. The counselor took the client list and chose every 4th client on the list to participate. Which sampling method is being used?
a.Purposive Sampling
b.Systematic Random Sampling
c.Stratified Random Sampling
d.Simple Random Sampling
b.Systematic Random Sampling
45
1. Quasi-experimental group designs are distinguished from true experiments primarily because they:
A. always use only one measurement of the dependent variable.
B. do not involve exposure to an independent variable.
C. never use a comparison group.
D. fail to randomly assign participants to either the experimental or the control groups.
D. fail to randomly assign participants to either the experimental or the control groups.
46
2. A study was designed to see if AA and the 12 steps helped people stop drinking. The researcher asked people who had attended AA and completed the steps to take a test at the end of treatment. This test design is which of the following?
A. Cross sectional survey design
B. Post-test design
C. Pre-test/Post-test design
D. Longitudinal design
B. Post-test design
47
3. In the standard notation for research designs, O stands for:
A. independent variable.
B. measurement of the dependent variable.
C. random assignment of participants to a group.
D. nonrandom assignment of participants to a group.
B. measurement of the dependent variable.
48
4. What is the major weakness of a qualitative case study design?
a.Findings are of little practical value to social work practitioners.
b.It is impossible to conduct a literature review for the case study.
c.It is difficult to generalize research findings to persons who were not the subject of the case studies.
d.There are no longer any interesting subject areas that are appropriate for a study using a case study design.
c.It is difficult to generalize research findings to persons who were not the subject of the case studies.
49
5. All the following are advantages of secondary data analysis EXCEPT one:
a. Secondary data is usually cheaper to gather than other types of data.
b. Gathering secondary data is less intrusive than other types of data.
c. The researcher is able to define exactly what variables will be collected.
d. Data are already gathered so secondary data takes less time to gather.
c. The researcher is able to define exactly what variables will be collected.
50
6. I want to develop a research design about an area of study I know little about. I found very little about it in a literature review. I decided to go ahead and study this topic and hope that other researchers will be able to add to the knowledge in other ways. I will be using which research design?
A. One-group posttest-only design
B. Cross-sectional survey design
C. Exploratory design
D. Posttest-only design
C. Exploratory design
51
7. In a province initiating a new work incentive program for single mothers, unemployment rates for this population were compiled for five years prior to the new program and for five years after the program commenced. This is an example of the following research design:
a. one-shot case study
b. time series
c. content analysis
d. experimental design
b. time series
52
8. Mixed-method research refers to use of both:
A) Experimental and correlational methods
B) Quantitative and qualitative methods
C) Description and intervention
D) Group and single subject designs
B) Quantitative and qualitative methods
53
9. If a social worker examined practice effectiveness by using one client at a time and measuring target behaviours before and after an intervention, he/she would be using the following research method:
a. single subject design
b. content analysis
c. field research
d. focus groups
a. single subject design
54
10. External validity refers to:
a. the comparison of the difference in means between a control and experimental group
b. the degree to which extraneous factors have been controlled for
c. whether the findings of a study are generalizable to the larger research
population
d. none of the above
c. whether the findings of a study are generalizable to the larger research
population
55
11.Focus groups would NOT be used for:
a. generating research hypotheses
b. learning how respondents talk about an issue
c. diagnosing potential problems with new programs/services
d. collecting data that are generalizable
d. collecting data that are generalizable
56
12. In contrast to interviews, self-administered questionnaires have the advantage of:
a. being more effective in dealing with complicated issues
b. producing fewer incomplete questions
c. dealing with the context of social life
d. handling sensitive issues more effectively
d. handling sensitive issues more effectively
57
13.A major difference between qualitative and quantitative interviewing is:
a. the extent to which the questions are open-ended
b. the order in which the questions are asked
c. the use of interviewers
d. all of the above
a. the extent to which the questions are open-ended
58
14. The following research design notation is called:
Group 1 R O1 X O2
Group 2 R O1 O2
a)Classical experimental.
b)Static group comparison.
c)Interrupted time series.
d)Solomon group design.
a)Classical experimental.
59
15. For a causal relationship to exist, there must be evidence:
a. of a relationship between variables
b. that one variable precedes the other in time
c. that a third variable did not cause the changes observed in the first place
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
60
16.In order to ensure that experimental and control groups are similar before an experiment, a researcher could:
a. pair subjects who are similar on relevant variables and assign one to the control group and one to the experimental group
b.c reate groups that are equivalent in terms of their averages on some relevant variables
c. assign subjects randomly to the experimental and control groups
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
61
17. A key informant might be someone who:
A. has experienced the problem personally that you are studying
B. has the respect and knowledge of the community
C. has a degree in the study area
D. has never experienced the problem personally
A. has experienced the problem personally that you are studying
62
18. Internal validity refers to:
a. the comparison of the difference in means between a control and experimental group
b. the degree to which extraneous factors have been controlled for
c. whether the findings of a study are generalizable to the larger research
population
d. none of the above
b. the degree to which extraneous factors have been controlled for
63
19. The major difference between an experiment and a quasi experiment is:
a. the size of the sample
b. the type of research question being addressed
c. the random assignment to the experimental and control groups
d. there is no difference
c. the random assignment to the experimental and control groups
64
20. Which single system research design examines the effectiveness of a single intervention with two or more target problems?
A.successive intervention
B.multiple baseline
C.ABAB
D.BAB
C.ABAB
65
21. Which of the following is the best way to control for the unwanted influence of maturation processes in an experiment?
A) Increase the sample size for the experiment
B) Use a pretest as well as a posttest
C) Use a control group
D) Use subjects who have stabilized with regard to maturational level.
C) Use a control group
66
22. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of participant observation?
a)Observations can occur in natural settings
b)Observers ask questions in such a way that they do not influence research participants’ answers
c)Observers record data based on frequency, duration, or magnitude.
d)Observers must try to use ethical decisions when observing.
b)Observers ask questions in such a way that they do not influence research participants’ answers
67
23. Social work researchers would like to interview all the directors of social work programs in their province. They are considering mail-out surveys or interview surveys. They chose the interview surveys because:
A. Less biased
B. Confidentiality could be better assured
C. Higher response rate
D. Less expensive
C. Higher response rate
68
24. Which of the following is NOT typical of qualitative studies:
a. small samples
b. standardized measurement instruments
c. direct observation
d. open-ended interviews
b. standardized measurement instruments
69
25. The experiment is the best research method for:
a. determining policy directions
b. determining causality
c. studying large numbers of people
d. longitudinal research
b. determining causality
70
26. When conducting a single-system design one important ethical consideration for the social worker to remember is that:
A. you should only use singe-system design as a last resort.
B. you are a practitioner first and a researcher second.
C. everything you learn from one client can be transferred to another client.
D. you must receive your certification in single-system designs before you use it.
B. you are a practitioner first and a researcher second.
71
27. Wesley wants to research the best practices in teaching research. He does not have the time or money to conduct the kind of study that he would like. He knows that some of these questions have been asked during other research projects. He has gained access to that data and will use this data. What kind of data is this?
A. Secondary data
B. Observational data
C. Survey data
D. Narrative data
A. Secondary data
72
28. Which of the followings is an advantage of using open-ended questions?
A. Participants will find open-ended questions easier to complete.
B. They are easy to analyze using quantitative data analysis.
C. They allow the researcher to precode response categories for computer data entry.
D. They allow the researcher to collect data in the form of direct quotations.
D. They allow the researcher to collect data in the form of direct quotations.
73
29. David is interested in learning more about people who are homeless, in order to improve programming for his clients. He plans to visit the homeless shelter and talk to the residents. He will be asking open ended questions about their lives and how to deal with being homeless. This method is:
A. Narrative interviewing
B. Secondary Data
C. Observations
D. Participant Observation
A. Narrative interviewing
74
30. If you were performing a study and measured participants first without an intervention, then implemented an intervention, and then took it away again, which design would you use for your graph to correctly show your results?
A. AB design
B. ABAB design
C. ABA design
D. BC design
C. ABA design
75
31. Debbie is a social worker who worked with a group of cancer survivors. She was interested in the issues that her clients deal with. Debbie decided to obtain information from her group. She has asked if they will volunteer to come to a group and talk about issues with cancer. What method of data collection would she be performing?
A. focus group
B. secondary data review
C. systematic observation
D. structured interviews
A. focus group
76
32. When using a qualitative research approach what could best be said about the researcher’s values?
A. They are completely ignored.
B. They are acknowledged and explored but not used in any part of the study.
C. They are the whole focus of the qualitative approach.
D. They are acknowledged and explored so that interactions with the participant are understood.
D. They are acknowledged and explored so that interactions with the participant are understood.
77
33. What is the primary data collection instrument in qualitative research?
A. a mailed questionnaire
B. the computer
C. the researcher
D. a standardized test
C. the researcher
78
34. The question:
Please indicate your current legal marital status by circling the letter of one response below:
a. Married
b. Single, never married
c. Separated
is an example of:
A. fixed-alternative item
B. simple composite index
C. open-ended item
D. linear scale
A. fixed-alternative item
79
36. Which of the following statements does not apply to grounded theory?
A. The design entails a recurring process of proposing and then checking and verifying what has been proposed.
B. Sample selection, data collection, and data analysis all occur in a very definite sequence.
C. Emerging theoretical categories influence the way subsequent data collection is carried out.
D. The design seeks to learn what meanings people give to certain events in their lives.
B. Sample selection, data collection, and data analysis all occur in a very definite sequence.
