LCSW Social Work Research and Evaluation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In social work research, which design BEST establishes a causal relationship between an intervention and an outcome?
- Qualitative case study
- Cross-sectional survey
- Randomized controlled trial (RCT) (Correct answer)
- Retrospective chart review
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
Randomized controlled trials use random assignment to experimental and control groups, best controlling for confounding variables and establishing causality.
Question 2: A social worker uses a standardized depression scale before and after treatment to evaluate client progress. This is an example of which evaluation design?
- Single-subject design (Correct answer)
- Needs assessment
- Program evaluation
- Randomized control trial
Correct answer: Single-subject design
Single-subject design (also called single-system design) tracks a single client's outcomes across baseline and intervention phases.
Question 3: In research methodology, internal validity refers to:
- The degree to which findings can be generalized to other populations
- The consistency of a measure across time
- The degree to which study results are attributable to the intervention rather than confounding factors (Correct answer)
- The cultural appropriateness of assessment tools
Correct answer: The degree to which study results are attributable to the intervention rather than confounding factors
Internal validity is the extent to which the study design allows conclusions that the independent variable caused the observed changes in the dependent variable.
Question 4: Which qualitative research method involves the researcher immersing themselves in a community to observe and participate in daily life?
- Focus groups
- Phenomenology
- Ethnography (Correct answer)
- Grounded theory
Correct answer: Ethnography
Ethnography involves prolonged immersion in a cultural setting to understand beliefs, behaviors, and social processes from an insider perspective.
Question 5: The primary ethical principle governing research with human subjects, requiring that participants be fully informed about study risks and voluntarily agree to participate, is:
- Beneficence
- Informed consent (Correct answer)
- Fidelity
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Informed consent
Informed consent ensures participants understand the study's purpose, procedures, risks, and their right to withdraw before agreeing to participate.
Question 6: A social worker wants to understand the lived experience of clients recovering from opioid use disorder. The MOST appropriate research approach is:
- Experimental design with control group
- Structured survey with Likert-scale responses
- Phenomenological qualitative inquiry (Correct answer)
- Epidemiological cohort study
Correct answer: Phenomenological qualitative inquiry
Phenomenology explores the subjective lived experiences of individuals, making it ideal for understanding the meaning of recovery from the client's perspective.
LCSW Social Work Research and Evaluation 1
In social work research, which design BEST establishes a causal relationship between an intervention and an outcome?