Chapter 2: Purposes and Processes of Social Work Research
Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following statements describes a descriptive study? 
A. This study examined the relationship between gender and the number of appointments that were missed by the client in the treatment process.
B. This study collected data on several variables regarding the clients of this agency such as gender, race, income level, and family structure.
C. This study examined whether the clients of the support group service improved on self-esteem through the examination of pretest and posttest scores on self-esteem.
D. This study examined data on the relationship between grades in school and depression to see if depression was a potential cause of poor school grades.
Ans: B
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: The Descriptive Study 
Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Which of the following statements describes an evaluative study? 
A. This study examined the differences in improvement in reading readiness scores for two groups, one of which had received the prekindergarten readiness service and one of which had not received this service.
B. This study examined the relationship between age and improvement scores for a client group in order to examine whether age is a predictor of improvement for our clients.
C. This study asked each client to indicate if they needed a given service when offered a list of services offered by the agency.
D. This study collected data on the variables of stress and stressors in order to examine the relationship between these two variables. 
Ans: A
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory. 
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: The Evaluative Study
Difficulty Level: Easy

3. When you classify a research study as explanatory, you are classifying it by ______.
A. chance
B. type of client
C. common sense
D. purpose
Ans: D
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Four Purposes of Social Work Research
Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Which of the following is an example of an evaluation of an intervention? 
A. examining the pretest and posttest scores for feelings of social support in an 11-client rape victim support group 
B. examining the need for mental health services at the Hopewell Community Medical Health Center 
C. examining the extent that the crime rate has declined in the past 5 years of the local court’s criminal justice services 
D. reviewing the extent to which services have been used by clients who live in poverty 
Ans: A
Learning Objective: 2-2: You will know the differences between a program evaluation and an evaluation of an intervention and what is entailed in each.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Evaluating Programs and Interventions
Difficulty Level: Medium

5. In a program evaluation, efficiency can be determined by which type of information?
A. number of clients served
B. number of clients who improved during the service period
C. cost per unit of service
D. the qualifications of staff who provide the service
Ans: C
Learning Objective: 2-2: You will know the differences between a program evaluation and an evaluation of an intervention and what is entailed in each.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Program Evaluation
Difficulty Level: Hard

6. Survey items that ______ can be characterized as a form of qualitative measurement. 
A. have specified categories for response (e.g., male or female as response categories for a question on gender)
B. have open-ended questions (e.g., What are your most important unmet needs?)
C. ask for a specific number as the response (e.g., What is your current annual family income?)
D. ask if your political party affiliation is Democrat, Republican, or other
Ans: B
Learning Objective: 2-3: You will be able to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative types of measurement.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Qualitative measurement is more likely to be found in which kind of study?
A. a study that calls for precise measurement of study variables
B. a study that is designed to test a well-known theory or hypothesis
C. a study undertaken where there is sufficient knowledge to compose questions with specific categories for response
D. a study regarding a little known theme
Ans: D
Learning Objective: 2-3: You will be able to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative types of measurement. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
Difficulty Level: Medium

8. In which phase of the research process are you likely to employ a literature review of the target behavior being treated?
A. the study conclusions
B. the study methods
C. the knowledge base
D. the analysis of data
Ans: C
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Step 1: Developing the Research Question and Knowledge Base
Difficulty Level: Medium

9. A research study’s knowledge base helps determine ______. 
A. the definition of the variables to be measured
B. the statistic to be employed in the testing of the study hypothesis
C. the study conclusions to be drawn
D. the selection of the tools to be used to measure study variables
Ans: A
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Step 1: Developing the Research Question and Knowledge Base
Difficulty Level: Medium

10. The statistical analysis of data takes place in which step in the research process?
A. the development of the research question and knowledge base
B. the drawing of study conclusions
C. the analysis of data
D. the development of the study methods
Ans: C
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Step 3: Collecting and Analyzing Data
Difficulty Level: Easy

11. In an evaluative study, selecting the tools for measuring client progress takes place during which step in the research process? 
A. the development of the research question and knowledge base
B. the drawing of conclusions
C. the analysis of data
D. the development of the study methods
Ans: D
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Step 2: Determining the Study Methods
Difficulty Level: Easy

12. In which step in the research process do you determine the nature of the population you will study and the sample you will draw?
A. the development of the research question and knowledge base
B. the drawing of conclusions
C. the analysis of data
D. the development of the study methods
Ans: D
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Step 2: Determining the Study Methods
Difficulty Level: Easy

13. Statistical analysis of data deals with the issue of ______.
A. chance
B. generalization of study findings
C. causation
D. validity
Ans: A
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Step 3: Collecting and Analyzing Data
Difficulty Level: Hard

14. According to the text, what should be the primary focus of your study conclusions?
A. what you have come to know from your review of the literature and your professional experiences
B. your opinions about the nature of the study hypothesis
C. the basic results of the data you analyzed
D. the strengths of the study you have undertaken
Ans: C
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Step 4: Drawing Conclusions
Difficulty Level: Medium

15. An explanatory research study would focus on the ______.
A. characteristics of people
B.  relationships between variables
C. success of a service
D. examination of a theme where little is currently known
Ans: B
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Explanatory Study
Difficulty Level: Easy

16. A study of client outcome would examine data on the ______.
A. proportion of clients from the program’s target population who were served by the program
B. cost per unit of service delivered
C. opinions of experts on the effectiveness of the service that was delivered
D. pretest and posttest scores of clients on a measure of the target behavior
Ans: D
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: The Evaluative Study
Difficulty Level: Medium

17. When you have qualitative data, you have ______.
A. numbers that represent variables, such as the annual income of people
B. people who have been placed into categories such as male and female
C. words to examine
D. data on the relationship between two variables
Ans: C
Learning Objective: 2-3: You will be able to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative types of measurement.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
Difficulty Level: Easy

18. In which step in the research process is the study hypothesis tested?
A. the development of the research purpose and knowledge base
B. the study conclusions
C. the study methods
D. the analysis of data
Ans: D
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Step 3: Collecting and Analyzing Data
Difficulty Level: Easy

19. The evaluation of an intervention usually focuses on ______.
A. client outcome
B. service need
C. service process
D. service standards
Ans: A
Learning Objective: 2-2: You will know the differences between a program evaluation and an evaluation of an intervention and what is entailed in each.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: The Intervention Evaluation
Difficulty Level: Medium

20. You have read a report on a research study that reported on a study with the purpose of determining if cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in the treatment of depression. The data were found to support the study hypothesis and the author concluded that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in the treatment of depression. Information on what step in the research process is missing from this description of this study?
A. the research purpose and knowledge base
B. the study methods
C. the collection and analysis of data
D. the drawing of conclusions
Ans: B
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: The Research Process
Difficulty Level: Hard

True/False

1. An explanatory study examines the relationship between two or more variables.
Ans: T
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory. 
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: The Explanatory Study
Difficulty Level: Easy

2. A theory is a proven fact.
Ans: F
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory. 
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: The Explanatory Study
Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Qualitative research is one type of research when research is classified by type of measurement.
Ans: T
Learning Objective: 2-3: You will be able to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative types of measurement.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Program evaluations focus only on client outcome.
Ans: F
Learning Objective: Distinguish between program evaluations and evaluations of interventions.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Evaluating Programs and Interventions
Difficulty Level: Easy

5. When you have qualitative data, you have words to analyze.
Ans: T
Learning Objective: 2-3: You will be able to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative types of measurement. 
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
Difficulty Level: Easy

6. The exploratory type of research is more likely than other types of research to employ qualitative methods of measurement.
Ans: T
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
Difficulty Level: Easy

7. You select your study sample in the data analysis step in the research process.
Ans: F
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: The Research Process
Difficulty Level: Easy

8. The intervention evaluation is more likely than the program evaluation to measure variables related to a variety of parts of the service system (e.g., need, process, and outcome.
Ans: F
Learning Objective: 2-2: You will know the differences between a program evaluation and an evaluation of an intervention and what is entailed in each.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Evaluating Programs and Interventions
Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Statistical significance refers to whether the intervention was the cause of the measured client growth rather than something like normal growth over time.
Ans: F
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Research Process
Difficulty Level: Medium

10. The study sample is the group of people from whom you will collect your data for your study.
Ans: T
Learning Objective: Ability to identify the steps in the study process.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Step 2: Determining the Study Methods
Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. Develop two statements of purpose: one for a descriptive research study and one for an evaluative research study. Identify the main distinction between these two types of research.
Ans: Varies. The purpose of a descriptive research study might be to describe the clients of the agency in regard to gender, age, and race, while an evaluative research study might be designed to determine if a given service was effective in the improvement of the grades for at-risk middle school students. A major distinction could be the presence of a service in the evaluative study. All evaluative studies will be examining services, so the absence of a service in the study would indicate that this was not an evaluative study. Another distinction is that the descriptive study has the purpose of describing, while the evaluative study has the purpose of examining the success of a service. 
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory.
Cognitive Domain: Analysis 
Answer Location: Four Purposes of Social Work Research
Difficulty Level: Hard

2. Develop two research questions: one for an evaluation of an intervention and another for a program evaluation. Identify the main distinction between the two.
Ans: Varies. An example of a research question that falls into the category of an intervention evaluation would be as follows: Are the anxiety posttest scores of our support group clients better than their pretest anxiety scores? An example of a program evaluation question might be, “Is the child welfare program effective in the enhancement of the number of abused children who are identified for treatment and the reduction of child abuse recidivism?” A major distinction is that the program evaluation is broader in scope than the evaluation of an intervention.
Learning Objective: 2-2: You will know the differences between a program evaluation and an evaluation of an intervention and what is entailed in each.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Evaluating Programs and Interventions
Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Identify a research question you would like to pursue that falls into the category of descriptive research. Identify three variables you would measure in this study. Briefly explain why you would like to pursue this study.
Ans: Varies. A descriptive research study will describe variables such as gender, race, age, and income for a given study sample. You might conduct such a study to determine if your services should be redesigned based on these characteristics of your clients.
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Four Purposes of Social Work Research
Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Explain whether your agency could be better served by an explanatory study or an evaluative study. Identify the purpose of your chosen study. 
Ans: Varies. Explanatory studies seek to explain variables by examining their relationship, while evaluative studies examine the success of an intervention or a program. It is most likely that an evaluative study would be more beneficial to a typical human service agency, because it helps to determine the success of agency services which could suggest improvements in services. It can also enhance accountability. In rare occasions, an explanatory study might be more useful, if, for example, the agency has a major issue with client no-shows and needs to examine this as an explanatory study.
Learning Objective: 2-1: You will better understand how to classify research by purpose, with a focus on the differences and similarities between research that is descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, or exploratory.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Four Purposes of Social Work Research
Difficulty Level: Hard

5. Suppose that you conduct a study that compares the pretest anxiety scores with the posttest anxiety scores of the clients in your support group. You find that posttest scores are better than pretest scores but the difference between these two sets of scores is not statistically significant. Explain why you should not conclude that your support service was found to be effective. 
Ans: Varies. In order to conclude that your service was found to be effective, you must have two pieces of information: the data must be in the direction that shows success and the data must be statistically significant. If the data are not statistically significant, you have found chance, which cannot be relied upon to give you the long-term truth.
Learning Objective: 2-4: You will be able to portray the research process from the articulation of the research question to the drawing of conclusions from your study. 
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Step 3: Collecting and Analyzing Data
Difficulty Level: Hard