Deck 2: Using Social Work Theory in Practice

Question 1

Until the 1970s, most theoretical debate in social work focused on various forms of:

A) oppression analysis
B) psychodynamic theory
C) systems-ecological theory
D) empowerment/advocacy theory

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Different writers and editors emphasize different aspects of theory, such as:

A) theoretical perspective
B) importance to a particular country or group of readers
C) different aims of social work
D) all of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The theories most commonly covered in reviews of theory are:

A) psychodynamic, crisis, and task-centered
B) cognitive-behavioral and related theories and some form of humanistic ideas
C) systems, solution-focused, and empowerment
D) none of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The two main approaches to helping practitioners find ways of using the theories available are:

A) deduction and induction
B) EBP or alternative approaches to scientific knowledge
C) academic knowledge versus practice experience
D) selection and eclecticism

Question 5

Persons who believe that the world is orderly; human beings are like objects and behave according to rules; and we can understand the rules that govern them and so apply knowledge to create changes are called:

A) interpretivists
B) utilitarians
C) positivists
D) none of the above

Question 6

A movement that emerged in the US and elsewhere, and which promoted a policy of following evidence to decide on practice action is called:

A) EPB
B) TA
C) CBT
D) none of the above

Question 7

______ is an interpretivist set of ideas proposing that understanding about the world come from interactions between people as part of many interchanges in a social, cultural and historical context:

A) evidence-based practice
B) post-modernism
C) existentialism
D) social construction

Question 8

Empowerment views argue that knowledge comes primarily from:

A) a knowledge about oppression
B) clients
C) strengths-based perspectives
D) none of the above

Question 9

Not taking for granted the present social order but actively looking for social change is characteristic of:

A) reflective thinking
B) constant comparative method
C) critical thinking
D) hypothesis generation

Question 10

The debate about the role of empirical research evidence in evaluating practice theory:

A) remains unresolved
B) is no longer a significant area of discussion
C) was resolved with the development of evidence-based practice
D) none of the above

Question 11

There is no universally accepted method of grouping social work theories:

Question 12

Eclecticism is:

A) taking ideas from several theories and combining them to produce a style of work that suits the agency and the practitioner
B) generally agreed to be the most common form of everyday practice
C) something that should be done in a planned, consistent manner
D) all of the above

Question 13

Eclecticism critics sometimes argue that:

A) practitioners may choose theories they feel comfortable with when evidence suggests otherwise
B) eclecticism is going out of style
C) eclecticism is not a proven form of social work practice
D) none of the above

Question 14

Many practitioners transfer and adapt ideas that they are confident in applying in one part of their practice to other aspects of their work:

Question 15

The major area of debate about social work theory, from the 1990s to the present, has been:

A) whether theory still has as much value as before
B) epistemological
C) if there are valid alternatives to evidence-based practice
D) none of the above

Question 16

Human beings are independent, free to follow their will, thus it is just not possible to collect all the necessary information to understand the rules of human life, so it is better to think about the world in a more flexible way. This is an example of:

A) interpretivist thinking
B) existential thinking
C) post-modern thinking
D) none of the above

Question 17

Positivism is:

A) regards people as objectives
B) believes that human behavior is predictable to a high degree
C) the world is orderly and follows natural rules that we can understand
D) all of the above

Question 18

The arguments for EPB do not include:

A) practitioners are responsible to identify aims and research options
B) practitioners' personal preferences are not an ethical basis for choosing interventions
C) EBP provides a planned and systematic form of practice based on proven methods
D) services should reflect the best possible research in existence

Question 19

When we believe that knowledge emerges from human interpretations of successions of events that can be captured empirically, we say this is a _____ research approach:

A) social construction
B) realistic
C) empowerment
D) all of the above

Question 20

It is unlikely that we can make generalized deductions from research about what we do in particular situations.