Deck 12: Evaluation Research

Question 1

Social indicators research combines

A)evaluation research with interviewing.
B)evaluation research with the analysis of existing data.
C)the analysis of existing data with questionnaires.
D)the analysis of existing data with the historical/comparative approach.
E)evaluation research with the historical/comparative approach.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Although some research indicates that the depiction of violence on TV has no effect on children,many parents still screen their children's TV selections to prevent the selection of violent programs.From a methodologist's perspective,parents probably ignore the implications of this research because

A)they may not understand the results of the research.
B)research results may contradict deeply held beliefs.
C)logistical problems enter.
D)administrative control interferes.
E)they may not understand the results of the research and/or the research results may contradict deeply held beliefs.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Creating new measures for variables in evaluation research has the advantage of

A)greater possible relevance and validity to the study.
B)having known degrees of reliability.
C)enabling comparisons with other measures.
D)being less time-consuming than using an already devised measure.
E)more precision.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The national speed limit in the United States was reduced to 55 mph in 1974.Proponents and critics of this legislation have looked at the number of traffic fatalities on each of the major U.S.highways (e.g.,I-90,I-65,I-75)for the years preceding and following this legislation.The examination of traffic fatalities on each of the various highways illustrates the use of

A)pretest-posttest one-group design.
B)the time-series design.
C)the multiple time-series design.
D)the nonequivalent control group design.
E)the one-shot case study.

Question 5

The exciting prospects for computer simulation of social indicators research include all but which of the following?

A)One day it will be possible to test the implications of specific social changes by computer rather than real life.
B)It will make human researchers an unnecessary component of the scientific method
C)It provides a means for us to know whether or not a specific alteration may make life better.
D)Planners can quickly examine different plans.
E)When contemplating the introduction of an intervention, it will be possible to get a description of all the direct and indirect consequences of it.

Question 6

Professor Simon was asked to evaluate the effectiveness of a new parenting seminar.After accepting the job,Professor Simon's first question was probably

A)"What is the intended result of the parenting seminar?"
B)"What are the anticipated outcomes of the parenting seminar?"
C)"What are the unanticipated outcomes of the parenting seminar?"
D)"What is the total number of persons enrolled in the seminar?"
E)Simon could only ask "What is the intended result of the parenting seminar?" and "What are the anticipated outcomes of the parenting seminar?"

Question 7

A research study in which evaluation is performed using a control group that is similar to the experimental group,but not selected at random or specifically matched is a

A)time-series design.
B)multiple time-series design.
C)nonequivalent control group design.
D)posttest-only control group design.
E)one-shot case study.

Question 8

Jenny conducted a survey of domestic violence incidents in the United States,and then administered the survey again every two years for a decade to see if things have improved for those involved.This is an example of a:

A)monitoring study.
B)needs assessment.
C)cost-benefit analysis.
D)logistical study.
E)None of these choices is correct.

Question 9

The denominator in a per capita rate is

A)1,000.
B)the size of the population.
C)the size of the sample.
D)the GNP.
E)the number of households in the population.

Question 10

Professor Henley is interested in comparing the use of the legal system in different countries.Henley examines the number of arrests per 1,000 population,the number of jury trials per 1,000 court cases,the number of lawyers per capita,and the number of people incarcerated per 1,000 population.Henley is doing

A)social indicator research.
B)cost/benefit analysis.
C)time-series designs.
D)computer simulations.
E)intervention analysis.

Question 11

Sheronda was contracted by a city to determine what programs would be most beneficial in reducing juvenile delinquency.What type of study would she likely be conducting?

A) classical experiment study.
B) needs assessment study.
C) time-series study.
D) monitoring study.
E) cost-benefit study.

Question 12

A friend of yours was asked to evaluate the effect of an advertisement campaign designed to get people to have their blood pressure checked.After examining the records kept by the blood pressure units in the target area,your friend showed you the following graph where X indicates an observation.

What will you tell your friend?

A)The ad campaign is producing the intended effect.
B)The independent variable, the campaign, is having an effect on the dependent variable, the percent having their blood pressure checked.
C)More observations are needed to determine whether the independent variable is having the intended effect.
D)The ad campaign has no effect.
E)There is no relation between the two variables.

Question 13

Which of the following topics would NOT be appropriate for evaluation research?

A)Examining if men are more likely than women to receive parole.
B)Examining whether women who get mammograms detect breast cancer earlier than women who do not.
C)Examining whether changes in speed limits influence traffic fatalities.
D)Examining whether the use of mediation in divorces results in "fairer" settlements.
E)Examining whether fee reductions at the local swimming pool increases pool use.

Question 14

After the delivery of their baby,new parents in hospital A were given a poison control test.While at the hospital they attended a training session on poison control.At the end of a week,they were given the poison control test again.After the delivery of their baby,new parents in hospital B were given the poison control test.One week later they were given the test again.What kind of design is being used?

A)pretest-posttest control group
B)time-series
C)nonequivalent control group
D)cross-sectional design
E)multiple time-series

Question 15

Which of the following is(are)FALSE regarding time-series designs?

A)They enable detection of whether a process of maturation could be at work.
B)Regular fluctuations that occur apart from the experimental stimulus can be identified.
C)They protect against the possible influence of some extraneous factor.
D)They involve multiple observations at different points in time.
E)They can be more difficult and costly to conduct.

Question 16

You examined the IQ scores of children at several high schools.You finally select two high schools where the children appear similar in terms of IQ scores,family income,religion,and the like.You match two classes from each grade (9 to 12)from each high school.In one high school you plan to offer a course on study skills in the selected classes and in the other high school you plan to have students follow their "normal" curriculum.After obtaining permission from the principals,parents,and children to do your research,you arrive at the first school to begin the study skills class.You find that the classes you had selected are on field trips and that the principal has assigned another class of the same grade level to you.This class switch illustrates the problem(s)of

A)logistics.
B)administrative control.
C)ethics.
D)logistics, administrative control, and ethics.
E)logistics and administrative control.

Question 17

In a study designed to examine whether the use of mediation in divorces results in "fairer" settlements,the intervention is

A)the use of mediation.
B)the "fairer" settlement.
C)the actual divorce.
D)the judge's decision.
E)Cannot tell from the given information.

Question 18

Which of the following would NOT be appropriate for measurement in evaluation research?

A)the dependent variable(s)
B)the experimental context
C)the outcome(s) of the experiment
D)the independent variable(s)
E)the sample size.

Question 19

If gun control legislation were passed to reduce the number of homicides,which of the following graphs would be most likely to convince you that the legislation was producing the intended effect? Note that in all graphs the horizontal axis (x axis)is time,the vertical axis (y axis)is number of homicides,and the (*)indicates an observation.

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)All of these choices indicate that the legislation is having the intended effect.

Question 20

Producers of TV shows that depict violence often ignore the studies that indicate that children who watch violence are more likely to be aggressive,have fewer friends,and have poorer relationships with their parents than children who do not watch violent shows.The producers of the violent TV shows probably ignore the research because

A)they did not understand the research.
B)the findings contradict deeply held beliefs.
C)the findings conflict with the producers' vested interests.
D)logistical problems entered.
E)administrative control interferes.

Question 21

Tommy implemented a change in the method of reading instruction in his third grade classroom in order to improve students' performance on state assessment tests.The change in method of reading instruction is a(n)

A)computer simulation.
B)social intervention.
C)outcome measure.
D)response variable.
E)dependent variable

Question 22

What differentiates quasi-experimental designs from true experimental designs?

A)smaller samples
B)lack of random assignment of subjects to an experimental and a control group
C)shorter time periods
D)more rigorous definitions of the intervention
E)having a control group

Question 23

The goal in evaluation research is to evaluate the impact of social interventions.The major problem in this venture is

A)developing an appropriate sample.
B)developing an appropriate theory.
C)avoiding ethical dilemmas.
D)developing adequate measures.
E)avoiding administrative control

Question 24

Hortense was asked by the local recreation board to conduct a study to determine how interested the public would be in having more recreational facilities.Specifically,he was asked to determine the balance of the expenses of the additional facilities to the specific level of increased usage of the facilities.Hortense was engaged in

A)cost-benefit analysis.
B)social indicators research.
C)computer simulations.
D)logistical problems.
E)public opinion research

Question 25

In an evaluation study of the treatment of transgender persons who work as state employees,Elisabeth was interviewing both employees and supervisors.Midway through the study,administration modified schedules to ensure she was no longer able to meet with the supervisors and complete her project.Which of the following did she experience?

A) content issues.
B) ethical violations.
C) social indicators.
D) administrative control.
E) validity problems

Question 26

Sergio set up an evaluation study at a private high school to examine the impact of wearing uniforms on delinquent behavior.Midway through the study,various administrators interfered with the assignment of students to the group that wore uniforms as well as with the data gathering for the measurement of delinquent behavior.Which of the following did he experience?

A)administrative control
B)logistical problems
C)ethical violations
D)social disindicators
E)content issues

Question 27

Theresa studied the impact of a publicity campaign on the number of women who visited a women's shelter.The goal of the publicity campaign was to increase usage of the center.For comparison purposes,Theresa measured the change in usage over the same time period at a women's shelter in a town of a similar size some distance away,where a publicity campaign was not used.What design did she use?

A)multiple time-series
B)time series
C)experimental
D)nonequivalent control group
E)Solomon 4-group design

Question 28

Nimby did an evaluation research study of the impact of after-school programs within schools on the delinquency rates of pre-teens.As part of his study,he examined the changes in availability of after-school programs outside of schools as well as changes in enforcement of delinquency laws.This analysis of factors outside his specific evaluation research design is known as

A)measuring experimental contexts.
B)doing social indicators research.
C)doing time-series analysis.
D)doing cost-benefit research.
E)doing field research

Question 29

Evaluation research is also called

A)program evaluation.
B)applied research.
C)clinical sociological research.
D)cost-benefit analysis.
E)historical analysis

Question 30

Rudyard examined the impact of a special orientation session for first-year students on students' retention in college.He experienced many problems with getting students to arrive on campus before the term began,with getting students into appropriate groups,and with getting the research instruments distributed and returned.Which of the following did he experience?

A)administrative control
B)logistical problems
C)ethical violations
D)social disindicators
E)student indicators

Question 31

Taos developed a series of mathematical equations describing the relationships that link social variables to one another and used his computer to examine what happened when he changed the values on one of the variables at a time.He was using

A)a true experimental design.
B)computer simulation.
C)a multiple time-series design.
D)cost-benefit analysis.
E)comparative analysis

Question 32

Jacinda studied the impact of selling Girl Scouts cookies on the troops' morale.She randomly assigned six troops to sell the cookies and six troops to not sell the cookies.She measured troop morale before it was time to sell cookies as well as a month after.Which design did she use?

A)multiple time-series
B)time series
C)classical experimental
D)nonequivalent control group
E)Solomon 4-group design

Question 33

Melissa wanted to compare the states on various aggregated statistics that reflect the social conditions in those states so that she could make regional comparisons.She should use

A)a true experimental design.
B)a survey design.
C)a multiple time-series design.
D)social indicators research.
E)content analysis

Question 34

The goal of applied research is to

A)expand the use of methods.
B)have some real-world effect.
C)promote better ethics.
D)train better researchers.
E)improve upon basic research

Question 35

Which one of the following is NOT one of the reasons why people avoid implementing evaluation research results?

A)the implications may not be presented in a way that nonresearchers can understand
B)the researcher typically is not interested in implementation
C)evaluation results may contradict deeply held beliefs
D)vested interests
E)evaluation results may suggest changes that are too expensive to implement

Question 36

For a study to determine if individuals placed on the sex offender registry are less likely to recidivate compared to those who are not registered,the response variable would be:

A) the initial offense.
B) the sentence given.
C) recidivism.
D) placement on the registry.
E) cannot tell from the given information.

Question 37

Tommy implemented a change in the method of reading instruction in his third grade classroom in order to improve students' performance on state assessment tests.The change in students' performance on state assessment tests is a(n)

A)cost-benefit analysis.
B)social intervention.
C)logistical issue.
D)response variable.
E)control variable

Question 38

The growth of evaluation research is largely due to

A)demand by clients and ethical considerations.
B)ethical considerations and social researchers' desire to make a difference.
C)social researchers' desire to make a difference and federal requirements and support.
D)federal requirements and support and demand by clients.
E)state and federal requirements to prevent lawsuits

Question 39

Roberto wanted to examine the impact of newly enacted seat belt laws.He did so by comparing deaths due to car crashes before and after implementation of the laws.He did this in multiple states and compared the changes in deaths with states that did not implement seat belt laws in order to more clearly understand the impact of the new laws.Which design did he use?

A)a true experimental design
B)a survey design
C)a multiple time-series design
D)cost-benefit analysis
E)longitudinal design

Question 40

Nimby did an evaluation research study of the impact of after-school programs within schools on the delinquency rates of pre-teens.He was careful to identify what he meant by after-school programs.As part of his study,he examined the changes in availability of after-school programs outside of schools as well as changes in enforcement of delinquency laws.His careful attention to identifying what he meant by after-school programs reflects

A)cost-benefit analysis.
B)time-series analysis.
C)specifying the intervention.
D)specifying the population.
E)verifying validity

Question 41

Evaluation research can be

A)only quantitative.
B)only qualitative.
C)either qualitative or quantitative.
D)neither qualitative or quantitative.
E)only descriptive.

Question 42

Gwen,an advocate of sexual reform knows (from research studies)that condoms can prevent sexual transmitted diseases as well as pregnancy.She decides to educate incoming freshman at her university about the advantages of using the condom through a short film depicting various characters.Some of the characters portray traditional mindsets (refusing to wear condoms); some portray the more liberal mindsets (proponents of condoms); and some of the characters are transitional characters who move from traditional to more liberal in their adoption of condom use.She plans on recording the rates of pregnancy/STDs for the incoming freshman at her university before and after the educational short film.She also plans on comparing her results with those of freshman at a different university with similar demographics who do not watch the educational short film.What evaluation program is she using?

A)cost-benefit analysis
B)monitoring program
C)needs assessment
D)Sabido methodology
E)media methodology

Question 43

Gwen,an advocate of sexual reform knows (from research studies)that condoms can prevent sexual transmitted diseases as well as pregnancy.She decides to educate incoming freshman at her university about the advantages of using the condom through a short film depicting various characters.Some of the characters portray traditional mindsets (refusing to wear condoms); some portray the more liberal mindsets (proponents of condoms); and some of the characters are transitional characters who move from traditional to more liberal in their adoption of condom use.She plans on recording the rates of pregnancy/STDs for the incoming freshman at her university before and after the educational short film.She also plans on comparing her results with those of freshman at a different university with similar demographics who do not watch the educational short film.The use of the education short film is the

A)social indicator.
B)social intervention.
C)social outcome.
D)response variable.
E)measurement.

Question 44

Which of the following designs would be ideal to receive the best possible results in program evaluation?

A)classical experiment
B)non-equivalent control group design
C)post-test only design
D)multiple time-series design
E)one-shot case study design

Question 45

Frank is conducting a program evaluation of a new juvenile deterrence program for first time offenders.Early indicators delivered to the program coordinator,Captain Reynolds,are not good,and that the program is having a negative effect on offending.The Captain,upon hearing this,wants to prevent a negative evaluation and thus extremely limits Frank's access to data.This is a problem of:

A)defining population
B)administrative control
C)validity
D)reliability
E)measurement error

Question 46

Stakeholders are

A)persons who control the finances of projects.
B)found in Institutional Review Board panels
C)people or groups affected by a program.
D)applied researchers
E)another name for research assistants

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT an ethical concern within the world of evaluation research?

A)bribery from administrators
B)misusing results for personal gain
C)using the wrong longitudinal method
D)falsifying data
E)to advocate for a specific agenda

Question 48

Applied research

A)has little real-world implications.
B)tests hypotheses just as basic research does.
C)is generally a lonely research enterprise.
D)can help to create, modify and implement programs and activities that make a difference in people's lives.
E)can only be done using qualitative methods

Question 49

Jake examined the impact of a new street lighting program on crime in six neighborhoods.He measured crime rates at one-month intervals for six months before the new street lights were erected and for six months after.Which design did he use?

A)multiple time-series
B)time series
C)experimental
D)nonequivalent control group
E)Solomon 4-group design

Question 50

Walter is conducting a study to determine if funding a newly established program to reduce the number of graffiti-related incidents is more expensive than simply painting over the buildings that are vandalized.Walter is doing a(n)

A)needs assessment study.
B)monitoring study.
C)cost-benefit analysis.
D)classic experiment.
E)multiple time-series design.

Question 51

Which of the following would be an example of administrative control negatively impacting a program evaluation?

A)A researcher fails to fully understand the population he or she is looking at.
B)A researcher chooses an incorrect level of measurement.
C)A researcher incorrectly specifying their outcome measure.
D)A program director refusing access to important case files.
E)A chosen sample leaving the study before it was complete.

Question 52

Existing statistics are frequently used as a major part of:

A)social indicators research.
B)classical experimental design.
C)time-series design.
D)case study design.
E)non-equivalent control group design.

Question 53

___________ is a scientifically reliable means of obtaining more objective descriptions of a social issue and the corresponding program need to improve on the social issues.

A)Cost-benefit analysis
B)Needs assessment
C)Monitoring research
D)Output research
E)Alternative research

Question 54

Utilizing popular culture media,such as movies or television shows,is known as the:.

A)cost-benefit analysis
B)monitoring program
C)needs assessment
D)Sabido methodology
E)media methodology

Question 55

Hilary wants to know if the "No child left behind" program has reached its target audience.What type of research should she conduct?

A)cost-effective analysis
B)impact evaluation
C)program monitoring
D)needs assessment
E)preliminary analysis

Question 56

Gwen,an advocate of sexual reform knows (from research studies)that condoms can prevent sexual transmitted diseases as well as pregnancy.She decides to educate incoming freshman at her university about the advantages of using the condom through a short film depicting various characters.Some of the characters portray traditional mindsets (refusing to wear condoms); some portray the more liberal mindsets (proponents of condoms); and some of the characters are transitional characters who move from traditional to more liberal in their adoption of condom use.She plans on recording the rates of pregnancy/STDs for the incoming freshman at her university before and after the educational short film.She also plans on comparing her results with those of freshman at a different university with similar demographics who do not watch the educational short film.The rates for pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases is the

A)social indicator.
B)social intervention.
C)social outcome.
D)response variable.
E)evaluation commitment.

Question 57

Gwen,an advocate of sexual reform knows (from research studies)that condoms can prevent sexual transmitted diseases as well as pregnancy.She decides to educate incoming freshman at her university about the advantages of using the condom through a short film depicting various characters.Some of the characters portray traditional mindsets (refusing to wear condoms); some portray the more liberal mindsets (proponents of condoms); and some of the characters are transitional characters who move from traditional to more liberal in their adoption of condom use.She plans on recording the rates of pregnancy/STDs for the incoming freshman at her university before and after the educational short film.She also plans on comparing her results with those of freshman at a different university with similar demographics who do not watch the educational short film.The experimental design that Gwen chose to use is

A)quasi experiment design.
B)time-series design.
C)nonequivalent control group design.
D)multiple time series design.
E)Solomon 4 group design.

Question 58

In the process of evaluating a program to evaluate the effectiveness of a stress reduction program for police officers,Elisabeth compared the rates of a department that implemented a program to a similar-sized department that had no program.This is an example of:

A)multiple time-series design.
B)non-equivalent control group design.
C)classical experiment.
D)time-series design.
E)post-test only design.

Question 59

By the end of an outcome evaluation,researchers should be able to

A)answer questions about the program's success or failure and ways that the program or policy can better serve its target population.
B)identify groups not served by the program or policy.
C)identify reasons why the program or policy was designed the way it was.
D)suggest ways that programs like the one being evaluated can better work together.
E)determine the specific costs the program has spent.

Question 60

Social indicators are often presented as:

A)rates per 100,000 persons
B)as interviews
C)aggregate totals
D)individuals
E)misleading data

Question 61

Sometimes,structured quantitative questions can yield unexpected qualitative results.

Question 62

Participatory action research may be used in conjunction with evaluation research methods.

Question 63

Only quasi-experimental designs should be used in evaluation research.

Question 64

Another name for the experimental stimulus in evaluation research is program intervention.

Question 65

Although quasi-experimental designs do not randomly assign subjects to experimental and control groups,they do have control groups.

Question 66

Social indicators are often monitored to determine the nature of social change in society.

Question 67

Computer simulations are based on mathematical equations describing the relationships that link variables.

Question 68

Applied research is a form of evaluation research.

Question 69

Cost/benefit analysis is an easy way to assess whether a program succeeded or failed.

Question 70

A researcher wants to compare a group who went through a new drug treatment program to those who did not in terms of their relapsing.By choosing a group that is similar,but not selected at random or specifically matched,the researcher is using

A) nonequivalent control group design.
B) time-series design.
C) multiple time series design.
D) posttest-only control group design.
E) one-shot case study.

Question 71

Operationalization is not necessary in evaluation research.

Question 72

Intersocietal comparisons are facilitated by calculating per capita rates.

Question 73

When researchers study an intervention in a progressive direction,such as why students in low performing high schools are doing well rather than poorly,they are examining

A) negative deviance.
B) positive deviance.
C) social indicators.
D) time-series.
E) stigmatizing deviance

Question 74

Monitoring cannot be done if one is doing a needs assessment.

Question 75

The most effective evaluation research combines qualitative and quantitative components.

Question 76

Social indicators research often uses existing statistics.

Question 77

In conducting an evaluation research project to determine the impact of domestic violence education in high schools,Martin was especially careful to identify what the educational programs were.He was also specific to identify the population it would be aimed at.By doing this,he was:

A) developing a cost-benefit analysis
B) specifying the population.
C) conducting social indicators research.
D) defining a response variable.
E) assessing reliability of measures.

Question 78

Ethical issues are non-existent to minor in evaluation research.

Question 79

To determine if a new law that was instituted is continuing to have the social impact desired,a researcher would conduct a(n):

A) program monitoring.
B) needs assessment.
C) cost-benefit analysis.
D) quasi-experiment.
E) nonequivalent control group

Question 80

Stakeholders may have a vested interest in the outcome of a study,but researchers set their own agendas.