Deck 7: Eliminating Counterproductive Communication Patterns and Substituting Positive Alternatives

Question 1

A client complains to her social worker that he has not offered the services that he was scheduled to provide. The client says, "If I don't receive the services soon, I am going to talk to your supervisor." The social worker in agitation replies, "Do that, and I will no longer try to help you." This scenario illustrates that the social worker is:

A)​judging.
B)​counterattacking.
C)​trying to convince the client.
D)​using humor inappropriately.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Members of some native American tribes regard eye-to-eye contact as a(n):

A)​attack on credibility.
B)​breach of trust.
C)​intrusion on privacy.
D)​violation of equality.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Linda, a social worker, communicates with Kate, a child in foster care. Linda asks Kate, "How are you feeling here? Do you feel comfortable? Do you want to stay?" In this scenario, Linda is:

A)​asking leading questions.
B)​asking stacked questions.
C)​interrupting inappropriately.
D)​dominating the interaction.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Anne, a social worker, listens to her client's account of how her children have been whiny and disrespectful to her. Anne responds, "I am sure they don't mean to act this way; they are just tired." This statement is an example of a(n):

A)​counterattack.
B)​sarcasm.
C)​criticism.
D)​excuse.

Question 5

​Tony, a teenager, is unhappy in his group home. Sam, a social worker, approaches him to sort out the issues that are making him unhappy. Sam asks Tony, "Do you think you have tried all the possible ways by which you can make this placement work?" This question by Sam is an example of a:

A)​stacked question.
B)​leading question.
C)​premature advice.
D)​judgment.

Question 6

When a social worker repeatedly offers advice, pressurizes clients to improve, presents lengthy arguments to convince clients, interrupts frequently, and offers excessive or inappropriate self-disclosure, it indicates that the social worker is:

A)​using double-barreled questions.
B)​going on tangential exploration.
C)​focusing on discussing safe topics.
D)​dominating the interaction.

Question 7

Assuming a position of superiority and quickly providing solutions for problems without encouraging clients to think through the possible courses of action:

A)​fosters dependency and stifles creative thinking.
B)​encourages the clients to reveal their troubling feelings.
C)​serves to restore the comfort level of the clients.
D)​induces the clients to agree with a particular view.

Question 8

Andrew loses his job because he came to work while he was under the influence of alcohol. He approaches Ron, a social worker, for a counseling session. After a brief conversation with Andrew, Ron says, "It is clear to me that you are in denial about what alcohol is doing to you." This scenario indicates that Ron is:

A)​judging, criticizing, and placing blame.
B)​trying to convince using logic.
C)​making glib interpretations.
D)​using sarcasm and humor.

Question 9

Which of the following behaviors displayed by a social worker communicates his or her hurriedness and anxiety while interacting with a client?

A)​Looking out the window
B)​Frequently glancing at the clock
C)​Having a rigid posture
D)​Yawning excessively

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true of stacked questions?

A)​They focus on adopting a solution that social workers deem to be in clients' best interests.
B)​They involve untimely interruptions by a social worker during conversation with a client.
C)​They are designed to induce clients to agree with a particular view.
D)​They have "low yield" and are unproductive and inefficient in gathering relevant information.

Question 11

A client is likely to discredit the message communicated by the social worker if:

A)​the social worker uses facilitative questions to attain detailed information about specific problem areas.
B)​there is a discrepancy between the social worker's verbal and nonverbal communication.
C)​there is moment-to-moment contact between the client and the social worker.
D)​the social worker uses empathic communication to produce a cathartic release of negative feelings.

Question 12

Which of the following is the most appropriate response by a social worker when a client reports to the social worker that her children are whiny and disrespectful?

A)​Can you tell me what happened recently with them that led you to feel they were disrespectful or whiny?
B)​You must have done some harm to them that led them to be whiny and disrespectful to you.
C)​I really feel sorry for you.
D)​Children are sometimes like that.

Question 13

Anna has not received the resources that were promised to her by Harry, her social worker. She decides to complain about this issue to Harry's manager. Anna tells Harry, "If you do not work on this soon, I am going to talk to your manager." In this scenario, which of the following is the best response that Harry can give Anna?

A)​You have the right to be served effectively. I can get you my supervisor's phone number.
B)​My supervisor's office is next door. Do not let my door hit you on the way out.
C)​Look on the brighter side. You have turned active and involved. You are not passive.
D)​If you do not apologize right away, you'll be sorry.

Question 14

While interacting with a client, the statement "Running away from home was a bad mistake" indicates that the social worker is:

A)​using sarcasm and humor inappropriately.
B)​judging, criticizing, or placing blame on the client.
C)​advising or giving solutions prematurely.
D)​sympathizing with the client.

Question 15

Usage of social work jargon, such as fixation, resistance, reinforcement, repression, passivity, and neuroticism, by a social worker to describe the behavior of clients in their presence is:

A)​destructive to the helping process.
B)​useful in convincing the clients.
C)​the correct form of incorporating sarcasm while communicating.
D)​the most efficient way of consoling the client.

Question 16

Which of the following statements by a social worker is an example of reassuring or providing false assurance to a client?

A)​Try to focus on your new quality of life.
B)​Certainly, your surgery will be successful.
C)​I sense that you are feeling very anxious.
D)​Other people have had similar experiences.

Question 17

Which of the following can be used by a social worker as an effective tool in the helping process and to diffuse conflict?

A)​Parroting
B)​Jargon
C)​Criticism
D)​Humor

Question 18

An employee, who is facing efficiency issues and complaints from managers at his workplace, approaches a social worker to seek remedial solutions. After listening to the client's problems, the social worker responds, "Try joining a different workplace." This response is an example of:

A)​consoling.
B)​blaming.
C)​advising.
D)​threatening.

Question 19

When a client responds "Yes, but I've already tried that" with little enthusiasm demonstrated for actually doing so, the response serves as a feedback clue that the social worker has slipped into the habit of:

A)​giving premature advice.
B)​sympathizing with the situation.
C)​consoling the client.
D)​criticizing and blaming the client.

Question 20

Mr. Gordon, who is suffering from depression, approaches a social worker to seek counseling. While Mr. Gordon speaks about his traumatic childhood experiences, the social worker squirms in her chair and continuously fidgets with her hands. This behavior of the social worker conveys:

A)​her interest in the ongoing communication.
B)​her lack of concern for Mr. Gordon.
C)​her inability to understand Mr. Gordon's behavioral cue.
D)​her attempt to relieve Mr. Gordon's discomfort.

Question 21

While communicating with a client, a social worker tells, "You know, I think that it is great that, you know, you came to the session, you know, on time." This statement by the social worker is an example of:

A)​repeatedly using sarcasm.
B)​providing positive feedback.
C)​overusing superfluous phrases.
D)​interrupting inappropriately.

Question 22

To avoid parroting during a conversation, a social worker should:

A)​seek out information that confirms his or her understanding, preferences, or perceptions.
B)​focus largely on the present because clients can change only their present circumstances, behaviors, and feelings.
C)​use fresh language that captures the essence of clients' messages and places them in sharper perspective.
D)​identify and prioritize key questions in advance with an outline.

Question 23

Paden, who is due for a surgery soon, approaches a social worker to increase his mental stamina and willpower to undergo the surgery. The social worker asks Paden, "When did you find out about your illness? How soon do you have to go in for the surgery? How are you feeling about all this?" In this scenario, the social worker is:

A)​asking leading questions.
B)​stacking questions.
C)​interrupting inappropriately.
D)​inducing a close-ended conversation.

Question 24

Discuss how judging, trying to convince, threatening, and making glib assessments are likely to occur with "captive clients" who cannot readily or safely decline services.

Question 25

A social worker asks a client, who has undergone a rehabilitation and counseling session, "Are you sure that you are ready to leave the treatment center?" This question by the social worker is an example of a:

A)​sarcastic question.
B)​judgmental question.
C)​leading question.
D)​stacked question.

Question 26

Inappropriate use of humor or sarcasm is described as a potential barrier to communication. Illustrate this with an example. Also, describe how humor is an aid to communication if done appropriately.

Question 27

Against professional advice, Joe, a psychiatric patient, wants to leave the rehabilitation center in the middle of an ongoing treatment. In this scenario, which of the following would be the best response that a social worker can give him?

A)​We will not be responsible for the harm you may cause yourself by this decision.
B)​What do you think about the staff's recommendation about your readiness?
C)​We wish you well with your plans and hope that your resolution will keep you safe.
D)​If you do not continue your psychiatric treatment, you will no longer be able to perform your daily activities.

Question 28

Pursuing content that is only tangentially related to client concerns, issues of client and family safety, or legal mandates:

A)?dominates the interaction with the client.
B)?justifies the rationale for the social worker's exploration of the topic.
C)?makes it impossible to shift the focus to the present experiences of the client.
D)?is a counterproductive interviewing strategy.

Question 29

Persuasion is considered to be an ethical intervention when a client:

A)​solicits advice in early phases of the helping process.
B)​contemplates actions that run contrary to his or her own goals.
C)​questions a social worker's professional knowledge and expertise.
D)​attempts to avoid consequences.

Question 30

Describe how stacking questions is a common verbal barrier to communication faced by beginning social workers.

Question 31

A social worker tells a client, "You do not really think that by dropping out of school you are going to get a great job and make a lot of money?" This statement by the social worker exemplifies that he or she is asking a(n):

A)​scaling question.
B)​open-ended question.
C)​leading question.
D)​stacked question.

Question 32

In which of the following situations is "safe" social interaction advisable to be included as part of the helping process?

A)​When children or adolescents need help in lowering their defenses
B)​When it is conducive to delay reaching a solution to a problematic area
C)​When a social worker is inexperienced and needs to manage his or her anxiety
D)​When a client resists a social worker's sarcastic and humor-filled conversation

Question 33

To minimize the pattern of interrupting inappropriately or excessively during a conversation with a client, a social worker should:

A)​identify and prioritize key questions in advance with an outline.
B)​induce the client to agree with a particular view that he or she deems to be in his or her best interests.
C)​diffuse the client's focus by discussing past events.
D)​help the client identify his or her feelings as a means toward increasing his or her self-awareness.

Question 34

Describe how cultural nuances of nonverbal cues turn out to be a barrier to effective communication for social workers.

Question 35

In which of the following ways can a social worker enhance self-awareness of his or her behavioral patterns while interacting with a client?

A)​By having an individual opinion during sessions
B)​By reviewing videotapes of his or her previous sessions
C)​By repeatedly advising the client to follow what he or she believes in
D)​By focusing on one "pet" solution that is applicable to all clients