Social Work 360: Practice with Groups - Midterm Exam

Gracen sees her social worker at child protective services. The social worker tells her what she must do to regain custody of her child. This is an example of _______.

directive communication

What is the disruptive behavior of the catastrophe crier?

exaggerates the seriousness of a problem, convinces group members that consequences will be disastrous focuses only on examining the severity of the problem, not on developing and implementing problem-solving approaches, which results in intensifying the problem rather than solving it

One benefit of active listening is _______.

facilitating problem solving by the person with the problem

Jack leads a community-based group for men who have recently been released from prison. Jack runs the group by setting clear rules and consequences and doesn't waiver from any of the decisions or plans he makes. The group's morale is low and there is a lot of infighting among group members. This surprises Jack because he thinks the clarity of expectations, rewards and punishments, and highly structured activities he has put into place should be well received by the men in the group. Which type of leadership style is Jack exercising?

Authoritarian

Jim was appointed to lead a group that is studying opioid use across the county. Jim brings together elected representatives from pain management, substance abuse, and mental health clinics monthly to explore the issue. What type of group is Jim leading?

Delegate council

What is a delegate council?

Formed for the purpose of facilitating interagency cooperation and communication and studying community-wide social issues

What is the disruptive behavior of the witholder?

has important information or resources that would help the group accomplish its task but intentionally withholds assistance. He or she is more interested in watching the group struggle and spin its wheels

What is the nominal group approach?

individuals work in the presence of others but do not interact

In which model are struggles viewed as evidence of emotional closeness?

Garland, Jones, and Kolodny Model

What is the disruptive behavior of the paranoiac?

Group member always feels picked on due to being excessively or irrationally suspicious and distrustful of others in the group much of this person's time is spent defending themselves and finding fault with other group members often feel that other members must be discredited before they can amass enough evidence to discredit the paranoiacs

Cameron is the social worker assigned to work with a local task group after a tragic accident at a construction site. The task group formed in order to rebuild and repair the neighborhood after a major storm destroyed several area homes. The leader of the task group worked hard to boost group morale, which led the group to believe they could accomplish anything. They even decided to start construction for a new home before the expert builders arrived on site. The leader suggested a few shortcuts that many of the group members knew were not a good idea. Everyone was enjoying the camaraderie within the group and went along with the suggestions despite clear warning signs that safety could be an issue. After listening to the group members describe the events that led to the tragic accident, Cameron quickly assesses that the accident was a result of which of the following?

Groupthink

Marcy facilitates a group for homeless teenagers. The group members are often off task and disorganized, and rarely seem to reach any conclusions during their sessions. Marcy decides she needs to define roles and tell the group members how, when, and where to do the needed tasks in order for the group to accomplish their goals. Marcy is engaging in what kind of leadership behaviors?

High-task

Both social work practice with groups and social work with individuals, families, organizations and communities involve providing _____ and effective social services to clients.

Humane

What is the disruptive behavior of the Benedict Arnold?

If a group is competing with another group, this group member will supply confidential information to the other group.

Why might a close-ended group function more effectively than an open-ended group?

In a close-ended group, membership is consistent from session to session, so members can build trust in order to share sensitive information.

Which technique might be used when one person conflicts with another and is confused about that person's thoughts and feelings?

Inquiry

What is the disruptive behavior of the trivial tyrannizer?

Instead of honestly sharing concerns, frustrations, and discontent, this member annoys a group with constant interruptions and digressions. He or she may arrive late for meetings and leave early, fail to show up for crucial meetings requiring everyone's attendance, or bring up concerns that the group has already acted on. Besides raising trivial questions about the wording of the minutes, for instance, this person may yawn or read something when other members are speaking.

Rayna attends a group to learn more about nutrition. She recognizes that the goals of the group align almost perfectly with her personal goals. How does this most likely affect Rayna?

It increases Rayna's motivation to dedicate her energy to the group's success

Who was the most notable leader in the settlement-house movement?

Jane Addams

In group therapy, Jane agrees with the feedback from the group but later shares with her husband that she really does not agree. Sarah, on the other hand, agrees with the feedback she received and begins to make changes in her behavior. What is the difference between Jane and Sarah?

Jane is an expedient conformer; Sarah is a true conformer

A community coalition meets about gang violence in city neighborhoods. The group does not seem to be making any progress. One member points out that no one in the group has experience working with gangs. This an example of what kind of barrier to problem solving?

Lack of skills

A developmentally disabled client wants to move into his own apartment, but lacks the necessary skills such as budgeting, doing laundry, and grocery shopping. What type of group would help this client develop the necessary skills?

Life skills group

Jill goes to see her social worker for assistance in learning how to manage her child's behavioral outbursts. The social work refers Jill to a parenting class at the local mental health center. In this scenario, the social worker acts as a broker and is focused on which social work goal?

Linking clients with systems that provide resources, services, and opportunities

A social worker runs a coalition to partner with local restaurants and caterers in the community to distribute leftover food to the local soup kitchens. Identify the level at which she is practicing.

Macro

A social worker who believes a patient's problems are from within the patient and that a diagnosis such as schizophrenia is influenced by genetics uses which model to assess human behavior?

Medical model

What is the disruptive behavior of the beltliner?

Members who make subtle negative comments about the sensitive areas of other members

What does research suggest is superior to brainstorming?

Nominal groups

What type of goal can be achieved through specific actions?

Operational

Group leaders have a responsibility for being effective in helping the group achieve their goals. How can leader effectiveness be evaluated?

Operational and measurable goals

Jackie volunteers with a disaster relief group. She grew up in a chaotic family with a verbally abusive father. The group's organizer reminds Jackie of her father's physical presence. His direct, no-nonsense approach makes Jackie uneasy. She does not trust him based on her past experiences with her father. Jackie is selecting and organizing data about the group's organizer to assign meaning to it. Which factor that interferes with communication is this an example of?

Perceptual process

Zeke receives verbal praise for sharing about his loss during group therapy. Zeke learns from the verbal praise that is it desirable to share about his loss during group and repeats the behavior during the next session. Zeke's response demonstrates the effect of what concept?

Positive reinforcement

What are the primary functions of a task group?

Problem solving and decision making

Georgia is unhappy in her marriage and recently had an affair. Georgia is terrified of what her family will think if they find out. She notices that her brother-in-law is working long hours and begins to question her sister as to whether he is having an affair. She points out his long hours, how he misses occasional activities for the children, and how he recently forgot an important family event. Georgia is using which defense mechanism to help herself feel better about her own behavior?

Projection

A homeless woman enters a local restaurant to obtain a meal with some money provided by a friend. The restaurant owner threatens to call the police if she does not leave his establishment, claiming that her presence creates unsanitary conditions because she has not bathed. When the woman's social worker learns about the situation, she visits the restaurant owner to advocate for her client's right, and the right of all homeless people, to be in the restaurant as a paying customer. Which social work goal is the social worker focused on achieving in this scenario?

Promoting humane and community well-being

Which kind of treatment group would a client or family member attend to learn more about the client's diagnosis, and ways to manage symptoms and prevent inpatient hospitalizations?

Psychoeducational group

Which kind of group functions to provide normative standards and serves as a basis for decision making?

Reference

What is a function of nonverbal communication?

Regulation

Students who participate in a social skills training group earn small toys from the leader upon completing the assigned tasks for the session. This describes which kind of power base?

Reward

Marcy likes to give advice and presents her ideas as if they are the only right ones. She comes across as an expert on all topics. Why do people respond defensively to Marcy?

She communicates with certainty

Business communications usually occur in which zone for personal boundaries?

Social

What are the primary types of groups in social work practice?

Social conversation, task, and treatment groups

What should leaders amplify to get the most from their followers?

Strengths

A teenage client diagnosed with ADHD is being referred for behavioral issues in school. He often acts without thinking and then later feels bad about what he did. He is confused about why he behaves as he does and wants to learn ways to control his impulses. What type of treatment group would you recommend?

Symptom management group

What is the most important guideline to consider when leading a task group?

The group's purpose

What is the disruptive behavior of the subject changer?

This person does not want a group to deal with crucial issues or with controversy and conflict. When difficult situations arise, he or she tries to change the subject Example: the changer may detest heated debates or may fear the debate will reveal something he or she wishes to keep hidden

What is the disruptive behavior of the eager beaver?

This person volunteers to do crucial tasks but has little intention of completing them and is simply seducing other members into believing he or she is a willing contributor. may partially perform some of the tasks to show good faith, but then employ a variety of excuses to explain why the tasks cannot be completed on time.

Which approach to leadership assumes that leaders have inherent personal characteristics that distinguish them from followers?

Trait leadership style

Jaron belongs to a group in which he perceives he has virtually no power. The group decides to begin each session by sharing a risk they took during the week. Jaron doesn't feel like he had a say in the decision and decides he will pass when it is his turn to share. This scenario describes a potential consequence of _______.

Unequal power

Which key concepts are included in general systems theory?

Wholeness, relationship, and homeostasis

What is groupthink?

a problem-solving process in which proposals are accepted without a critical, careful review of the pros and cons of the alternatives and in which considerable social pressure is brought to bear against those expressing opposing points of view

What is the disruptive behavior of the power grabber?

may attempt to become the group leader or the power source behind the group leader by convincing other members that he or she has more expertise than anyone else in the group or by buying the support of others with money, favors, or promises. may create conflicts that make the leader look bad and sabotage the efforts of the leader, even though he or she may not assume leadership power

What is the disruptive behavior of the guiltmaker?

may attempt to control others by making them feel guilty. traps the group into helping him or her with personal needs and goals, rather than working toward group goals. uses such common expressions as "Yon never do anything for me" and "All I've done for you and this is the thanks I get" to trigger the guilt response

What are the primary purposes of task groups?

meeting client needs, meeting organizational needs, meeting community needs

Power is defined as ____.

motivating others to carry out certain actions or behaviors

What is the disruptive behavior of the bear?

openly expresses anger, rage, frustration, resentment, hostility may be unhappy as a member of the group or with what is happening within the group expresses discontent through verbally attacking other members of the group, nonverbally through facial expressions, or through physically pushing and shoving another member passive-aggressive

What is the disruptive behavior of the clown?

rarely serious always joking around even when other members want to be serious inhibits/prevents other members from expressing their thoughts and feelings because they fear they may be ridiculed

Rey participates in a fundraising group for a local shelter. He shares that when he was a child his family was homeless for a few months. This is an example of _______.

self-disclosure

What is a true conformer?

someone who agrees both outwardly and inwardly

Expedient conformer

someone who can outwardly agree but inwardly disagree

Thad belongs to an Overeaters Anonymous group. He hates leaving his apartment; however, his doctor will not perform the surgery he needs until he loses weight. Thad is angry at himself for allowing his weight to get out of control and angry at the doctor. He takes his anger out on the group members by being sarcastic and verbally attacking them. Out of frustration, Thad purposely dumped over a bowl of fruit that was served at a meeting. What type of disruptive behavior is Thad demonstrating?

the Bear

Oriana leads a support group at the hospital. One of the members, Leona, continually slows down the group by pointing out what is wrong with the other members. Leona tries to focus members on irrelevant childhood issues and tells them they are repressing their feelings. A few of the group members have approached Oriana to let her know they feel uncomfortable sharing their stories in the group. One member even asked whether Oriana thinks she has a more serious underlying psychological issue based on what Leona said. Leona is exhibiting which disruptive behavior type?

the Psychoanalyzer

In the Tuckman Model, which of the five stages is marked by resistance as members begin to acknowledge and understand differences?

the storming stage

What are the steps of a nominal group?

1. Clearly state problem, question, or issue 2. Individual brainstorming 3. Read and record all ideas 4. Discuss each idea in turn 5. Vote on ideas

What is the disruptive behavior of the shirker?

A group member who fails to do anything for the group. When assigned certain tasks, this group member will evade these responsibilities by using a variety of excuses

A strength perspective assigns the role of a(n) _____ to the social worker to avoid the adverse effects of an expert-inferior relationship

collaborator

What is the disruptive behavior of the whiner?

continually complains about one thing or another without taking action to resolve the problem constantly seeking attention and sympathy from other group members which results in slowing a group down in accomplishing its tasks

Jared insists that the students in his group maintain eye contact with him when they speak. One student is refusing to make eye contact. What might this be an indicator of?

culture

The soup kitchen's task group decides to serve dinner starting at 4:00 p.m. during the winter months. What is this decision based on?

An assumption

Body orientation indicates ____.

An interest in starting a conversation

How do social workers who use the ecological model to assess human behavior view a client's problems?

As a possible result of both a medical condition and the interactions that a person has with the various systems which he or she interacts.

What can a social worker do to deal with a member who is trying to take over as the leader of a group?

Ask the member to take on limited leadership responsibilities

Considering the pros and cons of possible solutions is done during which step of problem solving?

Assessment of strategies

Group leaders are responsible for selecting relevant content for each session and presenting materials in a logical order. However, sometimes unexpected things occur such as a conflict between group members. This requires the group leader to practice _______.

Being flexible

What is one way to generate ideas with full group participation?

Brainstorming

A generalist social work is defined as a ______.

Change agent

Which power base may lead to distrust and retaliation among group members?

Coercive

Group members regularly come together, despite the group meetings sometimes being long and boring, because membership in the group contributes to the members reaching their personal goals. Which attribute describes this group?

Cohesive

Gianna is a social work intern at the local mental health agency. She is asked to co-lead a group with Lathan, an experienced group therapist. Gianna benefits from Lathan's mentoring and soon becomes a skilled and confident leader. This is an example of a benefit of ________.

Coleadership

A social worker who applies knowledge about human behavior and person-in-environment in his interventions when working with clients is practicing which competency?

Competency #8: intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

In what kind of group must members fail for one member to succeed?

Competitive

What is the disruptive behavior of the psychoanalyzer?

Continual analysis of what other members are doing often uses psychological terms and delights in analyzing what others really mean and what is wrong with them often slows down a group by getting members to engage in mind reading rather than task completion Other members are inhibited from expressing their thoughts and feelings; they fear they may be analyzed as having psychological problems