Research Quiz 1

Which of the following is NOT a way to figure out the best solution when dealing with an ethical dilemma in research?

temporarily suspend the study, debrief and provide compensation to the subjects

The human services professionals are moving in the direction of evidence-based practice, which is the integration of which of the following three components?

the best research evidence, use of clinical expertise, client values

A(n) _______________________ definition is the way a variable is defined and measured for the purposes of the evaluation or study.

operational

Program evaluation involves making comparisons to other agencies, past or prior efforts or against a stated objective.

False

The main purposes of program evaluation are to attempt to build theory and add to the knowledge base of the profession.

False

When disseminating the results of the needs assessment, you should present preliminary results to the stakeholders before finalizing and presenting the information to the community.

False

According to the APA's Clinical Psychology Task Force on Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures, in order for a psychosocial intervention to be considered for inclusion in the list of empirically supported treatments, it has to meet which of the following criteria when there have been at least two good between-group design experiments?

A. superior to pill or psychological placebo or to another treatment B. equivalent to an already established treatment in experiments with adequate statistical power both a and b

Which of the following statements is true regarding the protection of sensitive information in research?

Confidentiality means that the researcher will protect and not reveal the participant's identity, while anonymity means that the research participant cannot be identified by anyone, including the researcher.

The __________________ technique is utilized when a group of experts is asked to comment on a questionnaire designed for a study, provide input, and assist the researcher in refining the measure.

Delphi

An expressed need is when a need of one group is determined to be the need of a group with similar characteristics, but you are unable to talk to the other group directly.

False

Deception of research participants should not occur in any study.

False

If a research participant is cognitively impaired, it is not necessary to seek their assent to participate in a research study.

False

Minors (under age 18) can give informed consent to participate in research studies.

False

Needs assessments are a final step to take when developing a new program.

False

Previously collected data for another purpose cannot be used by researchers for program evaluation studies.

False

___________________ involve(s) a small group of individuals gathered to be asked questions by a facilitator related to a certain topic, with the goal being to gather relevant information about a problem or issue about which all the members are aware or have direct knowledge.

Focus groups

If a researcher wants to conduct a study using incarcerated prisoners as research participants, the study must undergo full review, including the presence of a prisoner or prisoner representative at the meeting.

True

In order to meet IRB guidelines, respondents must always be allowed to remain anonymous.

True

Program evaluation studies are considered an inadequate way to test the validity of theories.

True

Programs have their own identify

True

Public hearings and community forums are not considered methods of needs assessments.

True

There is a section of the NASW Code of Ethics that addresses research and evaluation.

True

Within an agency, two programs may service philosophies that differ.

True

You are hired as an external evaluator for a new, innovative therapeutic program for children with autism that has not yet been empirically tested. The program director tells you that five staff members will lose their jobs if the evaluation does not show the intervention to be effective, and that the parents will be so angry, they will never seek services at their agency again. You analyze the results and find that the children's symptoms did not improve after participating in the new program. What is the most ethical course of action?

Write a draft of the report balancing the positive and negative aspects to show the program director before disseminating the final report to other stakeholders.

Needs assessments serve primarily which purpose?

a one-time analysis of interventions needed

Which of the following is NOT a required section of an informed consent document?

a review of the literature pertaining to the problem being studied

Common issues that can affect your needs assessment approach include:

all of the above

If there have been a large series of single case designs (more than 9) demonstrating efficacy, which criteria must be met to be considered an empirically supported treatment?

all of the above are criteria that must be met

What is the definition of a program?

an organized collection of activities designed to reach certain objectives

Which of the following is NOT one of the four A's to guide planning?

assessment

According to the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects in Biomedical and Behavioral Research (the Belmont Report, 1979), which of the following are the three ethical principles that must guide research involving humans?

beneficence, respect, justice

A researcher utilizes a survey as well as focus groups to determine the outcomes of a particular intervention. When analyzing the data, the researcher is careful to analyze how the different focus groups as well as the survey yield similar findings (or not). This is called what type of analysis?

convergent

Which of the following steps comes first when planning a needs assessment?

determine the information needed and what you already have

What type of survey is utilized to determine the extent of problems in a certain area and then express the findings as rates affected within the population?

epidemiologic

You run a drug abuse prevention education for high school youth. You are asked to complete an evaluation of the program because recently some community members asked the school board to not fund this program because they had read previous studies about the DARE program and said these programs do not work. You believe the program is meeting its goals and want to show that it is effective, as well as a good use of public funds. This is an example of which reason to evaluate programs?

evaluation for proof of met goals

Research conducted in an established educational setting involving normal educational practices such as comparing instructional techniques or classroom management styles and studies involving the study of existing data fall under what category according to the Department of Health and Human Services issued Federal Ruling 45 CFR 46?

exempt from review

According to Bradshaw (1977), a(n) _____________________ need is one that is expressed by actual clients and those directly affected by the issue.

felt

Evaluative research helps those in the social sciences to

help determine whether the needs of clients are being met

Characteristics of a "good" program include all of the following EXCEPT:

only services that are empirically based

Which of the following is NOT a good reason to base your program on a sound theoretical model?

it helps ensure that funding sources will favor your program

People who have knowledge of the problem you are assessing, through work or educational experience with a program or agency, or with a certain population with which you should consult before conducting your needs assessment are known as which of the following terms?

key informants

A consultant is hired by your agency to conduct a gap analysis to determine groups of people not being served by the current services provided to the homeless. The consultant concludes that adolescents ages 17-18 who have formerly been in foster care comprise a large percentage of the homeless and you do not have any programs that target this group. This is an example of what type of need?

normative

The belief that valid knowledge about the objective world can be determined through scientific research is which philosophical foundation of program evaluation?

positivism

Which of the following is a viable alternative for a researcher when needing an experimental group, but you do not want to deny clients access to a needed service?

provide services to clients that are an alternative form of those being evaluated

Agency A is known in their large urban community for their annual fund-raiser held every year in the summer, which is a regionally televised event. This is an example of which of the characteristics of a "good" program?

recognized identity

Before conducting the needs assessment, it may be helpful to consult census data available in geographical units to learn more about the population being studied. This is an example of use of __________________________________.

secondary data

Research participants must be fully informed about the processes of the research and must be allowed to end their participation in a study, if they choose, at any time without a penalty. This is an example of honoring what principle of social work?

self-determination

Program evaluation and basic research have some similarities. Which of the following is a difference between the two approaches?

the expected use or utility of the data

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) were mandated to be convened for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

to provide funding for researchers to conduct program evaluation

When collecting data by using a survey, asking people who live close to your agency and/or seek services from there will yield results that adequately represent the community.

true

The Campbell Collaboration and the Cochrane Collaboration are

websites that contain systematic reviews of research projects

When is it possible that a program evaluation study may not need to be submitted to the IRB?

when an evaluation is conducted for the sole purpose of improving practices and operation