Deck 17: Outcome Research in Counseling

Question 1

Which question does outcome research answer?

A) How effective is counseling?
B) How are clients adapting to counseling?
C) How well is your comprehensive program working?
D) Does your comprehensive developmental school program need to be changed?

Answer 1

How effective is counseling?

Question 2

Which of the following statements about accountability is true?

A) It has become less important over the past decade.
B) It is more important than theory congruence or philosophical allegiance.
C) It is a controversial topic that most professionals disagree with.
D) Only certain professionals are trained in accountability procedures.

Answer 2

It is more important than theory congruence or philosophical allegiance.

Question 3

Studies indicate that clinical practitioners

A) typically perform a great deal of research.
B) do not perform any active research.
C) typically do not perform active research.
D) always actively research techniques before they are implemented.

Answer 3

typically do not perform active research.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the seven myths identified by Sexton, Whiston, Bleuer, and Walz (1997)?

A) Findings are relevant to the practitioner as studies examine minute detail.
B) Outcome research looks at groups and evaluates theory, while practitioners are more concerned with individuals and specific techniques.
C) Research results cannot be trusted and are not useful in practice.
D) Practitioners are not concerned with statistical significance, but with practical differences.

Question 5

A model that teaches professional counselors to view all counseling as a formal research project is called the

A) research-practitioner model.
B) clinical trial model.
C) meta-analysis model.
D) scientist-practitioner model.

Question 6

Professional counselors must become familiar with current

A) outcome research.
B) philosophies and theories.
C) counselor beliefs.
D) popular practices among professional counselors.

Question 7

A quantitative index that conveys the magnitude of difference detected due to treatment is called a(n)

A) outcomes result.
B) effect size.
C) statistical significance.
D) p value.

Question 8

Which of the following might be an explanation for the lack of effectiveness in counseling treatment?

A) Some professional counselors lack appropriate skill levels.
B) The process of counseling is difficult because it brings up uncomfortable emotions and awareness.
C) Issues outside of counseling may negatively affect counseling outcomes.
D) All of the above.

Question 9

Premature termination refers to

A) the professional leaving the counseling relationship due to countertransference.
B) clients who drop out of counseling for any reason.
C) committing suicide.
D) a client dropping out of counseling due to the lack of monetary resources to pay for counseling.

Question 10

Patient-therapist match refers to whether or not the

A) professional counselor can resonate with the client.
B) client perceives the professional counselor is able to resonate with them.
C) Both of the above.
D) None of the above.

Question 11

Which of the following is TRUE about successful counseling outcomes?

A) Counseling is effective in creating change regardless of theoretical application.
B) Counseling is only effective when there is a strong theoretical basis.
C) Counseling is only effective when the client and professional counselor are of the same ethnicity.
D) All of the above.

Question 12

The use of treatment manuals in counseling is due to

A) the variety of skill levels among professional counselors.
B) the perception of skill as a critical determinant of counseling outcomes.
C) the lack of extant literature on counseling outcomes.
D) the study of their effectiveness in counseling outcomes.

Question 13

Individual counseling is effective in treating

A) posttraumatic stress disorder.
B) survivors of abuse.
C) Both of the above.
D) None of the above.

Question 14

Which of the following is most effective in treating borderline personality disorder?

A) Group counseling
B) Individual counseling
C) A combination of individual and group counseling
D) Inpatient treatment

Question 15

Meta-analytic reviews of group counseling studies usually yield

A) small effect sizes.
B) medium effect sizes.
C) large effect sizes.
D) None of the above.

Question 16

Effective group leaders

A) instill hope in group members.
B) display encouraging personal characteristics.
C) provide emotional supportive behaviors.
D) All of the above.

Question 17

Whiston and Sexton (1998) concluded that group approaches with school-aged children were extremely effective in addressing

A) family adjustment problems.
B) learning disorders.
C) academic difficulty.
D) adjustment disorders.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true about outcome research on adult outcomes of counseling?

A) There has been less research conducted for adults.
B) The outcome research on adults is far more convincing than that available for children or adolescents.
C) The outcome research on adults is about the same as that on children and adolescents.
D) None of the above.

Question 19

Which of the following is true about school-based interventions for children and adolescents?

A) School-based counseling interventions are only significantly effective in working with post-secondary students.
B) There has not been enough research to provide any conclusive evidence.
C) Significant student improvements in academic performance, attitudes, and behaviors resulted from school-based counseling services.
D) School-based counseling interventions are extremely difficult to implement and provide small results.

Question 20

Which of the following provided small effect sizes when meta-analyses were conducted?

A) responsive services.
B) classroom guidance.
C) group counseling.
D) individual counseling.

Question 21

There has been a rise in the use of conflict resolution and peer mediation due to an increase in

A) interpersonal importance.
B) school violence and bullying behaviors.
C) the significance of peer pressure.
D) the importance of collaboration and commitment to making changes.

Question 22

Longer lengths of counseling treatment appear to be

A) more effective than short-term treatment.
B) less desirable among clients.
C) more desirable among professional counselors.
D) All of the above.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways professional counselors can help to supplement current outcome research?

A) Collaborate with researchers.
B) Increase knowledge and use of outcome literature.
C) Advocate for outcome research funding.
D) All of the above are ways professional counselors can supplement current outcome research.

Question 24

Earlier outcome research was

A) difficult to understand.
B) difficult to implement.
C) irrelevant to practice.
D) All of the above.

Question 25

Some consider accountability to be

A) a component of professional counseling.
B) more important than theory congruence.
C) more important than philosophical allegiance.
D) All of the above.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a factor in low rates of help-seeking behaviors?

A) Geographical restrictions
B) Finances
C) Scheduling conflicts
D) Stigma

Question 27

Outcome research remains under produced due to

A) the lack of professional counselors trained in research methods.
B) a great deal of resistance from administration.
C) the fact that the costs outweigh the product.
D) All of the above.

Question 28

The __________ model equally values research and clinical training.

A) outcome research
B) scientist-practitioner
C) researcher-practitioner
D) practitioner-experimenter

Question 29

Clinical efficacy studies

A) are tightly controlled experiments.
B) are designed to test a particular intervention.
C) Both of the above.
D) None of the above.

Question 30

Which of the following methodologies is NOT typically considered under the umbrella of outcome research?

A) clinical trials
B) meta-analytic reviews
C) quantitative reviews
D) qualitative reviews

Question 31

One way to interpret an effect size is in terms of

A) variances.
B) means.
C) standard deviations.
D) interquartile ranges.

Question 32

Which of the following is TRUE about the use of theory in counseling?

A) Research supports the increased efficacy of certain theoretical approaches with specific mental health conditions.
B) Some counseling interventions are proven to be more effective than others.
C) Counseling interventions with psychodynamic roots are more effective than others.
D) None of the above.

Question 33

An affective bond in counseling is also called a(n)

A) therapeutic alliance.
B) significant relationship.
C) practitioner-client allegiance.
D) scientist-practitioner model.

Question 34

Adult group therapy has been found to be highly effective in treating

A) personality disorders.
B) eating disorders.
C) anxiety disorders.
D) All of the above.

Question 35

Group process variables include

A) leader characteristics.
B) pregroup training.
C) group structure.
D) All of the above.

Question 36

A professional counselor should strive to __________ in professional practice.

A) examine effectiveness
B) understand the core conditions of counseling
C) be knowledgeable of current outcome literature
D) All of the above.

Question 37

Outcome research involves all of the following types of methodology EXCEPT

A) qualitative reviews.
B) meta-analytic reviews.
C) quantitative trials.
D) clinical trials.

Question 38

With the rapid growth of managed care today, it is important for professional counselors to convince__________ that counselors are providing effective services.

A) teachers
B) professors
C) third-party payers
D) other counseling professionals

Question 39

In general, what issue hinders those practitioners who have access to populations in need of study?

A) They have not been adequately trained in research methods.
B) They are not from a CACREP program.
C) They aren't well versed in the theoretical underpinnings of the profession.
D) None of these are a problem when it comes to studying populations.

Question 40

The __________ model teaches professional counselors to view all counseling as a formal research project.

A) consultant-scientist
B) scientist-practitioner
C) practitioner- consultant
D) None of the above.

Question 41

One study concluded that group approaches with school-aged children were very effective in addressing all of the following EXCEPT

A) substance abuse.
B) social skills.
C) discipline.
D) family adjustment problems.

Question 42

__________ is the collaborative relationship between the client and counselor in which an affective bond has been established.

A) Therapeutic alliance
B) Counseling bond
C) Consultative relationship
D) Supervisory alliance

Question 43

Effectiveness research is most concerned with the use of interventions and techniques with a broad population across __________ settings.

A) controlled
B) single
C) multiple
D) diverse

Question 44

__________ services are aimed at immediate attention and intervention in response to problematic issues arising in a school setting.

A) Consultative
B) Information
C) Responsive
D) Reactive

Question 45

Outcome research is intended to answer the question of counseling

A) effectiveness.
B) durability.
C) permanence.
D) performance.

Question 46

Which individual counseling approach was most effective in addressing aggressive behavior?

A) Cognitive
B) Psychoanalytic
C) Behavioral
D) None of the above is effective in addressing aggressive behavior.

Question 47

Meta-analysis involves amassing and summarizing the results of numerous studies using a meaningful quantitative index known as a(n)

A) affect size.
B) effect size.
C) control size.
D) placebo size.

Question 48

Group therapy with adults was highly effective in the treatment of all of the following EXCEPT

A) depression.
B) eating disorders.
C) substance abuse.
D) All of the above were shown to be effective.

Question 49

__________ is when clients drop out of counseling.

A) Pre-experimental termination
B) Process termination
C) Initial termination
D) Premature termination

Question 50

Counselors can add to what is known about best practices by

A) finding funding that only comes through third-party payers.
B) collaborating with researchers.
C) reading outcome literature that pertains to only their specific topic of interest.
D) counseling the school's minority population more often.

Question 51

In order to increase efficacy, professional counselors need to approach client care

A) deliberately.
B) slowly.
C) emotionally.
D) scientifically.

Question 52

Which of the following may be a reason why professional counselors resist the idea of assessing their own outcomes?

A) Counselors may be hesitant to use time set aside for therapy.
B) Counselors fear their services may be ineffective.
C) Counselors may believe that effectiveness cannot be quantifiably measured.
D) All of the above are reasons why counselors may not assess their own outcomes.

Question 53

Music, drawing, stories, games, worksheets, role playing, puppets, and videos are all techniques that can be used as

A) mental health facilitation.
B) developmental classroom guidance activities.
C) psychotherapeutic activities.
D) research data.

Question 54

Treatment manuals standardize the treatment of certain conditions by providing

A) a collection of literature to read and implement.
B) documents from previous clients with the same condition(s).
C) an empirically validated protocol.
D) a counselor's private notes taken from client sessions.

Question 55

__________ refers to the fit experienced by the client and the counselor.

A) Patient-therapist confidence
B) Patient-therapist match
C) Patient-therapist relationship
D) None of the above

Question 56

Professional school counselors are employed by schools and provide ___________ counseling services at the school sites.

A) psychotherapeutic
B) direct and semi-structured
C) direct and indirect
D) indirect and structured

Question 57

An ES of .20 indicates (a) __________ treatment effect.

A) no
B) small
C) medium
D) large

Question 58

__________ are tightly controlled experiments designed to test a particular intervention.

A) Clinical efficacy studies
B) Controlled efficacy studies
C) Consultative efficacy studies
D) None of the above.

Question 59

Approximately __________ individuals ages 15-44 years experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year?

A) 2 in 5
B) 1 in 4
C) 5 in 10
D) 8 in 10

Question 60

Explain the importance of accountability as a component of professional counseling practice.

Question 61

Describe the importance of outcome research to professional counseling.

Question 62

Describe the barriers to outcome research in professional counseling.

Question 63

Explain the facets of counseling that contribute to positive outcomes.

Question 64

Explain the benefits of the scientist-practitioner model for professional counselors.

Question 65

Briefly define effect size (ES) and the options for determining the strength of an ES.

Question 66

Describe the counselor characteristics that contribute to successful counseling outcomes.

Question 67

Describe client characteristics that contribute to successful counseling outcomes.

Question 68

Identify the five group process variables discussed in the chapter.

Question 69

Choose at least 3 group process variables and describe how they lead to effective group counseling outcomes.

Question 70

Compare and contrast the effectiveness of group work with adults and school-aged children.

Question 71

Provide a rationale for the use of school-based interventions for children and adolescents.

Question 72

Describe the prevalence and purpose of peer mediation.

Question 73

Explain career interventions employed by professional school counselors.

Question 74

Describe ways in which professional counselors can collaborate with researchers to supplement current outcome literature.

Question 75

Identify and describe the three separate types of methodology in outcome research.

Question 76

Describe the research regarding school-based conflict resolution programs.

Question 77

Describe developmental classroom guidance activities and provide at least 3 examples.

Question 78

Describe responsive services in a school setting.

Question 79

Identify at least 3 personal client variables that have been found to correlate with premature termination.