Question 1

Evaluative studies are different from others because evaluative studies will always have a(n) ______.

Accepted Answer

Evaluative studies are specifically designed to assess the effectiveness of interventions or programs, making the presence of an intervention or program to be evaluated a distinguishing characteristic.

Question 2

In human service evaluation, the concept of input refers to the ______.

Accepted Answer

Input in human service evaluation typically refers to the resources, materials, and efforts that go into addressing a specific need or problem, hence the nature of the need being addressed is the correct answer.

Question 3

Which of the following would be an example of a client target behavior for an evaluation study?

Accepted Answer

The depression level of the clients being treated is an example of a client target behavior for an evaluation study because it is a specific, measurable outcome that can be directly observed and assessed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention or treatment being evaluated.

Question 4

A good definition of the target behavior in evaluative research is most helpful for the researcher in selecting the ______.

Accepted Answer

A well-defined target behavior helps in choosing the appropriate tool for measuring client progress, as it clarifies what specific behavior or outcome the research aims to assess.

Question 5

Analyzing the target behavior is most helpful for the research when selecting the ______

Accepted Answer

Analyzing the target behavior is most helpful for the research when selecting the intervention to be employed.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes evidence in evaluative research?

Accepted Answer

Evaluative research relies on credible information collected from studies of a scientific nature to assess the effectiveness or outcomes of programs, practices, or interventions. This type of evidence is based on systematic inquiry and analysis rather than anecdotal experience or popular opinion.

Question 7

When seeking evidence about a given target behavior, it is advisable for the social work researcher to start the search with attempts to find a ______ in regard to the selected target behavior.

Accepted Answer

A systematic review of evidence is the most comprehensive and reliable source as it synthesizes all available research on a topic, providing a thorough overview of the evidence.

Question 8

When evaluating a human service system or general program of service, you might ask the following questions: (1) Are the services of the program addressing client need? (2) Are we delivering good quality services? (3) Are we offering out services efficiently? (4) Are our client satisfied with the services they have received? What is the most important question that has not been asked yet?

Accepted Answer

The most important question not asked yet is about the impact of the services on client outcomes. This directly relates to the effectiveness of the program in achieving its goals and making a tangible difference in the lives of the clients it serves.

Question 9

Which of the following questions addresses the issue of service efficiency?

Accepted Answer

Question A directly addresses service efficiency by comparing the cost per therapy session to other agencies, which is a measure of how resources are utilized in providing services.

Question 10

The mechanism for determining if chance is a reasonable explanation of the data you have analyzed in regard to pretest and posttest scores for depression is ______.

Accepted Answer

The results of your statistical analysis of your data for pretest and posttest scores help determine if chance is a reasonable explanation by assessing the significance of the observed changes.

Question 11

In an evaluative study, you can conclude that your service was effective if your data on client outcome ______.

Accepted Answer

For a conclusion about the effectiveness of a service to be valid, the data on client outcomes must not only go in the hypothesized direction but also be statistically significant. This ensures that the observed effects are not due to chance and are likely a result of the service provided.

Question 12

Suppose you are evaluating the effectiveness of your strengths-based school social work tutoring services in the improvement of the likelihood that your at-risk middle school students will graduate from high school. You will provide your services in hourly sessions that are given three times per week for 8 weeks. These tutoring sessions will be offered by school social workers with the BSW degree. The students' grades in school will be measured as the outcome of the service. What of the following would be the best way to characterize the structure of this service?

Accepted Answer

The best way to characterize the structure of this service is by describing the specific format and schedule of the tutoring sessions, which is accurately captured in option D.

Question 13

Suppose you are evaluating the effectiveness of your strengths-based school social work tutoring services in the improvement of the likelihood that your at-risk middle school students will graduate from high school. You will provide your services in hourly sessions that are given three times per week for 8 weeks. These tutoring sessions will be offered by school social workers with the BSW degree. The students' grades in school will be measured as the outcome of the service. What of the following would be the best way to characterize the goal of this service?

Accepted Answer

BThe goal of the service is twofold: to improve the likelihood that the clients will graduate from high school (A) and to improve the grades of the clients (B). Both outcomes are directly targeted by the tutoring services provided.

Question 14

Suppose you are evaluating the effectiveness of your strengths-based school social work tutoring services in the improvement of the likelihood that your at-risk middle school students will graduate from high school. You will provide your services in hourly sessions that are given three times per week for 8 weeks. These tutoring sessions will be offered by school social workers with the BSW degree. The students' grades in school will be measured as the outcome of the service. What of the following would be the best way to characterize the objective of this service?

Accepted Answer

The objective of the service is directly related to the measurable outcome, which in this case is the improvement of the students' grades in school.

Question 15

Which of the following is the basis for declaring that you can logically generalize your findings to your study population?

Accepted Answer

When you have data that show similarity between your sample and the target population on variables that are relevant to your study, you can logically generalize your findings to your study population.

Question 16

A major advantage of composing a measurement scale yourself, rather than using a published one, is that it will ______.

Accepted Answer

A self-composed measurement scale can be tailored to the specific needs and outcomes relevant to the client, making it more directly applicable to the individual case at hand. Published scales, while reliable and valid, may not always perfectly align with the unique aspects of every client's situation.

Question 17

When you search for a published tool for measuring client outcome, you should pay careful attention to the ______.

Accepted Answer

The definition of the variable you want to measure is crucial because it ensures that the tool accurately captures the specific outcomes you are interested in assessing.

Question 18

The comparison group evaluative research design is better than the one-group pretest-posttest design because you are in a better position to ______.

Accepted Answer

The comparison group evaluative research design allows for a control or comparison group in addition to the group receiving the intervention. This setup makes it easier to attribute any changes observed to the intervention itself rather than to external factors such as normal growth over time, because you can compare the outcomes of those who received the intervention against those who did not.

Question 19

Which of the following would be considered a single-subject research design?

Accepted Answer

The AB design is a type of single-subject research design that involves repeated measurement of a single participant's behavior before and after the intervention, allowing for the observation of changes attributable to the treatment.

Question 20

What is meant by the concept of threats to internal validity?

Accepted Answer

Threats to internal validity refer to factors within a study that might lead to incorrect conclusions about the cause-and-effect relationships between variables. These are elements other than the experimental treatment that could lead to changes in the outcome variable, thus affecting the study's ability to accurately determine if the treatment caused the observed effects.

Quiz 8: Conducting Research That Evaluates Services