Deck 2: Lenses for Conceptualizing Problems and Interventions: the Person in the Environment

Question 1

A comprehensive approach to describing human behavior is:

A) The person-in-environment
B) Strengths perspective
C) Social learning theory
D) Behavioral theory

Answer 1

The person-in-environment

Question 2

According to the textbook, the Micro-Mezzo-Macro approach is:

A) A theory because it has testable constructs
B) Provides a visible framework for organizing client information
C) A theory because it predicts behavior
D) Provides detailed explanations for client actions based on client information

Answer 2

Provides a visible framework for organizing client information

Question 3

In reference to the Micro-Mezzo-Macro approach, the micro level refers to:

A) Aspects of the individual such as biological, psychological, developmental, spiritual, etc.
B) Elements of the individual's physical environment such as neighborhood, school, church, etc.
C) The medical model
D) Elements of the individual's immediate social environment such as family, friends, co-workers, etc.

Answer 3

Aspects of the individual such as biological, psychological, developmental, spiritual, etc.

Question 4

The larger social forces that affect an individual are located in what level?

A) Micro
B) Mezzo
C) Macro
D) Exosystem

Question 5

A macro system that impacts Juan's family is

A) The school Juan attends
B) The school board
C) The neighborhood center Juan attends
D) Healthcare and lack of access to healthcare

Question 6

Addressing health issues at a mezzo level may include:

A) Teaching a parent to cook with fresh produce
B) Checking with the client to see if she can afford her prescriptions
C) Increasing the availability of access to affordable fresh produce at farmer's markets and grocery stores
D) Changing policies to require health insurance to cover pre-diabetes education

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a critique of Systems Theory?

A) Too broad to easily predict behavior
B) Not enough focus on biological aspects of behavior and problems
C) Easy to test constructs empirically be does not relate in any way to behavior
D) Too problem-oriented

Question 8

Which of the following are credible critiques of the Micro-Mezzo-Macro approach?

A) Many social workers will probably not have time to fully explore the range of issues that may be impacting clients.
B) Because the Micro-Mezzo-Macro approach is not a theory, it cannot be empirically tested.
C) There is really no valid or reliable way to measure how effective it is when used with clients.
D) All of the above are critiques of the Micro-Mezzo-Macro approach

Question 9

The biopsychosocial approach to individuals

A) Focuses on the individual's biological, psychological, and social functioning
B) Breaks down human behavior into a single component
C) Provides a lens through which one can assess client's community
D) Assumes individuals have no impact on their immediate environment

Question 10

Assessing Juan's situation from a biological perspective would involve

A) looking at Juan's physical health and functioning
B) assessing Juan's emotional and cognitive development
C) exploring on his interactions and relationships with others, such as his teachers and his priest.
D) Assessing how Juan's beliefs and faith direct his actions

Question 11

Assessing Juan's situation from a psychological perspective would involve

A) looking at Juan's physical health and functioning
B) assessing Juan's emotional and cognitive development
C) exploring on his interactions and relationships with others, such as his teachers and his priest.
D) Assessing how Juan's beliefs and faith direct his actions

Question 12

Assessing Juan's situation from a social perspective would involve

A) looking at Juan's physical health and functioning
B) assessing Juan's emotional and cognitive development
C) exploring on his interactions and relationships with others, such as his teachers and his priest.
D) Assessing how Juan's beliefs and faith direct his actions

Question 13

A comprehensive theory used to understand human interactions within their environment is:

A) Operant conditioning
B) Psychosocial development
C) The medical model
D) Systems theory

Question 14

What is known as "the sanctioned patterns of behaviors expected of individuals within a system"?

A) Subsystems
B) Differentiation
C) Roles
D) Boundaries

Question 15

Systems are always striving to:

A) Maintain the status quo
B) Create change
C) Nurture growth
D) Develop new subsystems

Question 16

In systems theory, what tells the system what it's doing correctly or incorrectly with regard to functioning?

A) Homeostasis
B) Feedback
C) Entropy
D) Roles

Question 17

Which of the following tools are "pictograms" that use symbols to denote key events, characteristics, relationships, health and mental health issues, and communication patterns?

A) Ecomaps
B) Family trees
C) Genograms
D) Social Histories

Question 18

Which of the following demonstrate visually how family members are affected by and react to their broader ecological context?

A) Ecomaps
B) Family trees
C) Genograms
D) Social Histories

Question 19

Systems Theory suggests examining boundaries in Juan's family for what reason?

A) To gain insight into the roles each person plays
B) To better understand how family members will receive feedback about the family
C) To learn how open the family is to receiving help and allowing outside interactions
D) To learn who in the family is to blame for Juan's problems

Question 20

Even if Juan's family situation were improved, Juan could still be struggling with school and other issues. This is an example of:

A) Equifinality
B) Multifinality
C) Boundaries
D) Feedback

Question 21

Which theory explains human development through interactions between the individual and the environment?

A) Ecosystems theory
B) Person-in-environment
C) Biopsychosocial
D) Ecological theory

Question 22

In ecological theory, which level consists of interactions among two or more environmental settings in which people live

A) Mesosystem
B) Exosystem
C) Microsystem
D) Macrosystem

Question 23

With regard to ecological theory, the positive and negative interactions people have with others are referred to as:

A) Transactions
B) Adaptation
C) Interdependence
D) Coping

Question 24

In ecological theory, the ability of individuals to adjust to their environments is called:

A) Coping
B) Interdependence
C) Adaptation
D) Transactions

Question 25

In ecological theory, the ways in which individuals deal with negative events and situations in ecological theory is termed:

A) Coping
B) Adaptation
C) Interdependence
D) Maladaptive behavior

Question 26

In using the ecological theory to help Juan and his family, looking at the micro level would consider

A) facets like the manufacturing plant where his father worked, his mother's physician and the health care system where she receives care
B) his developmental status as a teenager, all the settings with which Juan interacts, and the roles he plays in each
C) how two or more of the systems within Juan's environment interact to influence his development as well as how Juan interacts with people and situations within these settings
D) local, national, and international economic pressures and school policies regarding educational standards

Question 27

In using the ecological theory to help Juan and his family, looking at the mezzo level would consider

A) facets like the manufacturing plant where his father worked, his mother's physician and the health care system where she receives care
B) his developmental status as a teenager, all the settings with which Juan interacts, and the roles he plays in each
C) how two or more of the systems within Juan's environment interact to influence his development as well as how Juan interacts with people and situations within these settings
D) local, national, and international economic pressures and school policies regarding educational standards

Question 28

In using the ecological theory to help Juan and his family, looking at the macro level would consider

A) facets like the manufacturing plant where his father worked, his mother's physician and the health care system where she receives care
B) his developmental status as a teenager, all the settings with which Juan interacts, and the roles he plays in each
C) how two or more of the systems within Juan's environment interact to influence his development as well as how Juan interacts with people and situations within these settings
D) local, national, and international economic pressures and school policies regarding educational standards

Question 29

Majors strengths of the Ecological Model include all the following EXCEPT:

A) It goes beyond the psychological and explores the larger environment in which clients live.
B) It takes into account the biological experience of clients and puts the focus on client health.
C) The theory takes a balanced approach to human nature and considers the interaction between an individual and the environment
D) It is less likely than biopsychosocial theories to place "blame" for problems in functioning entirely on the individual or the environment

Question 30

The ecosystems approach

A) Combines two theories to create a more comprehensive way to approach work with clients
B) Is the application of an systems theory to individuals
C) Contradicts ecological theory
D) Has been researched and found effective

Question 31

"All human beings have the capacity for growth, change, and adaption." This is a tenet of:

A) Ecosystems approach
B) Person-in-environment
C) Wisconsin code of ethics
D) The strengths perspective

Question 32

A social worker who focuses on the strengths perspective

A) Empowers clients
B) Shifts responsibility to the client
C) Discounts conflict in the client's environment
D) Uses his or her own strengths to help clients

Question 33

Which is a challenge to implementing the strengths perspective?

A) Mandates and funding issues require many agencies to focus on problems
B) Clients often lack adequate strengths to build upon
C) It requires specialized training
D) Social work has rejected this perspective

Question 34

Explain the person-in-environment approach.

Question 35

Define and describe the differences between the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

Question 36

Describe the strengths and limitations of the biopsychosocial approach.

Question 37

List and briefly describe 4 mezzo level systems that affect Juan and his family.

Question 38

Explain the difference between equifinality and multifinality. Give an example of each from Juan's family.

Question 39

What are the critiques of systems theory?

Question 40

List and describe the differences between the levels in ecological theory.

Question 41

What are 3 benefits to clients of the strengths perspective?

Question 42

Describe the strengths perspective. Include the challenges a social worker might encounter in implementing the strengths perspective, and suggest ways in which they might work through those challenges.

Question 43

Read the Chetkow-Yanoov article "Social Systems and Their Environments". Locate a news article about a violent event that has taken place recently (example: The Newtown, CT school shooting or the shooting at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Colorado) and use the multi-environmental model explained in Exercise 1 to conduct an analysis of the person/situation from your news article.

Question 44

Explain, in Systems terms, what Von Bertalanffy means at the end of the readings when he says an "…organization must not swallow the individual without sealing its own inevitable doom."

Question 45

Briefly describe the difference between an ecomap and a genogram. Describe 2 situations where each might be useful to a social worker.