Deck 7: Problem Formulation

Question 1

A nominal definition:

A) Tells us what indicators to use in observing a concept.
B) Is a statement detailing what will be involved in measuring some entity.
C) Is like a dictionary definition.
D) All of these.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The following is an example of a good hypothesis: "Social work practitioners who work in mental health agencies do not care adequately for the chronically mentally ill."

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Concepts are mental images that summarize collections of seemingly related observations and experiences.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Which of the following statements is/are true about the qualitative perspective on operational definitions?

A) We may not know the most salient variables before we implement the study.
B) We may not understand the variables well enough in advance to anticipate the best way to operationally define them.
C) Specifying variables only in terms of observable indicators is superficial.
D) All of these are true about the qualitative perspective.
E) None of these is true about the qualitative perspective.

Question 5

Concepts that make up a variable are called attributes of that variable.

Question 6

At what level of measurement is the variable ethnicity?

A) Nominal.
B) Ordinal.
C) Ratio.
D) Interval.

Question 7

Which of the following IS NOT an operational definition of marital satisfaction?

A) a score on a scale measuring marital satisfaction.
B) whether or not identified by a therapist as having marital problems.
C) amount of marital unhappiness.
D) number of derogatory statements made by spouses to each other.

Question 8

At what level of measurement is the variable number of future incidents of child neglect?

A) Nominal.
B) Ordinal.
C) Ratio.
D) Interval.

Question 9

One operational definition is usually as good as any other operational definition.

Question 10

In choosing an existing scale as an operational definition of self-esteem before and after an intervention,researchers should consider

A) its length.
B) how difficult it will be for subjects to complete.
C) its sensitivity to change over time.
D) its reliability and validity.
E) all of these.

Question 11

If a relationship between two variables is spurious:

A) it is curvilinear.
B) it can disappear when a third variable is controlled for.
C) it will remain unchanged when a third variable is controlled for.
D) it involves a mediating variable.

Question 12

Which of the following statements,as currently stated and without the need for rewording,comes closest to being a useful hypothesis?

A) The provision of case management services reduces the number of days spent in institutions.
B) The provision of case management services should be increased.
C) The number of days spent in institutions can be decreased.
D) The greater the number of days spent in institutions, the fewer the number of days spent outside of institutions.

Question 13

If we find that test performance improves as level of anxiety increases from low to moderate amounts and then worsens as level of anxiety increases beyond moderate amounts,then we have found what type of relationship?

A) positive.
B) negative.
C) curvilinear.
D) causal.

Question 14

If we find that rates of behavioral disorder are lower among children who are more active in sports,then we have found what type of relationship?

A) positive.
B) negative.
C) curvilinear.
D) causal.

Question 15

One possible operational definition of patient morale in a nursing home is how happy or optimistic patients feel.

Question 16

In social work studies testing hypotheses involving the variable "level of social functioning" that variable is:

A) always the dependent variable.
B) always either the dependent or control variable.
C) always the independent variable.
D) an independent, dependent, or control variable, depending on what is being conceptualized and postulated in any given study.

Question 17

Concepts are:

A) empirical measurements.
B) variables.
C) mental images.
D) hypotheses.
E) definitions.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is NOT true if you include only women in a study of a hypothesis:

A) You rule out any effect that gender might have on the two variables under study.
B) Gender is a third variable in the study.
C) Female is a constant in the study.
D) You are controlling for the effects of gender.

Question 19

A study tests the hypothesis that the provision of social work intervention will reduce the school dropout rate.It finds that social work intervention reduces the dropout rate only of children whose families are experiencing high levels of family stress.In this study,what type of variable is "level of family stress"?

A) independent variable.
B) dependent variable.
C) moderating variable.
D) mediating variable.

Question 20

If marital discord increases when socio-environmental stress increases,that would be an example of a positive relationship.

Question 21

Operationally define the concept child's school adjustment in three ways: once by using self-report,once by using direct observation,and once by using available records.Identify the advantages and disadvantages of each definition.

Question 22

Although there are important differences in conceptualization between qualitative and quantitative studies,both approaches are apt to operationally define variables in advance and in the same way.

Question 23

Give an example of a relationship that you think might be spurious,and discuss how you would attempt to ascertain whether it is indeed spurious.

Question 24

The same concept can be a variable in one study and a constant in another study.

Question 25

There is only one acceptable operational definition for any given variable in social work research.

Question 26

Number of children is an example of a variable at the ratio level of measurement.

Question 27

The terms attributes and categories mean the same thing when researchers are mentioning them in reference to their variables.

Question 28

Construct three hypotheses of interest to social workers.One should predict a positive relationship,another a negative relationship,and a third a curvilinear relationship.Identify the independent and dependent variables in each hypothesis.Discuss your reasoning for predicting the curvilinear relationship.

Question 29

Give an example of how gender could be a variable in one study and a constant in another.

Question 30

A relationship between two variables that are no longer related when a third variable is controlled is called a spurious relationship.

Question 31

Discuss how the quantitative and qualitative perspectives on operational definitions differ.

Question 32

Develop a properly worded hypothesis that would be relevant to evaluating the effectiveness of some aspect of social work practice.Identify a moderating variable and a mediating variable pertinent to that hypothesis and explain why it would be important to control for them in testing the hypothesis

Question 33

If we hypothesize that a school social work intervention will prevent students from dropping out of school through the mechanism of increasing their level of self esteem,then level of self esteem would be viewed as a mediating variable.

Question 34

Moderating variables influence the strength or direction of relationships between independent and dependent variables.