Question 1

The study hypothesis is an educated guess about the results you expect to find from your data, with reference to the variables being measured.

Accepted Answer

A study hypothesis is indeed an educated guess or prediction about the relationship between two or more variables, and it specifies the expected outcome of a study based on theoretical understanding or previous research.

Question 2

The study hypothesis should assert causation, such as "the posttest scores for depression will be lower than the pretest scores because the treatment addresses the cause of depression."

Accepted Answer

A study hypothesis does not necessarily assert causation; it can also predict a relationship or difference without specifying causation.

Question 3

Practical significance is an informed opinion about whether the data results were noteworthy.

Accepted Answer

Practical significance involves making a judgment about the importance or meaningfulness of the results in a real-world context, beyond just statistical significance.

Question 4

The first task in the conclusions section of the research report is to summarize the results of your study in regard to the research question.

Accepted Answer

The first task in the conclusions section is indeed to summarize the study's results in relation to the research question, providing a clear answer or insight derived from the findings.

Question 5

The one-group pretest-posttest research design addresses maturation as a threat to internal validity.

Accepted Answer

The one-group pretest-posttest design does not effectively address maturation as a threat to internal validity because there is no control group to compare changes that may occur simply due to the passage of time.

Question 6

Face validity is the extent that key informants express the belief that the measurement tool is accurate in measuring the designated variable.

Accepted Answer

Face validity refers to the degree to which a test or measurement tool appears to measure what it is supposed to measure, based on the judgment of non-experts or those casually observing the tool, such as key informants, making it a subjective measure of validity.

Question 7

The model of the intervention is the conceptual framework that serves as the logical rationale for offering the intervention in light of what is known about the dynamics of the target behavior being addressed.

Accepted Answer

The model of the intervention provides a theoretical basis that explains why the intervention is expected to work, based on an understanding of the behavior it aims to change.

Question 8

The objective of the intervention is the statement of the long-term benefits of the intervention for the client, so you might call it a measured amount of progress toward the achievement of the objective.

Accepted Answer

The objective of an intervention is a specific, measurable, and time-bound statement that outlines the steps or actions to achieve a goal, not the long-term benefits. The long-term benefits are the overall impact or outcome the intervention aims to achieve.

Question 9

If your target behavior is depression, you would focus the statement of the objective on depression, and you would measure depression.

Accepted Answer

When targeting a specific behavior such as depression, the objective statement should focus on depression, and the measurement should assess changes or improvements in depressive symptoms to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.

Question 10

In evaluative research, there is only one criterion for determining if your data supported your hypothesis: you can report that your data supported your study hypothesis if the data went in the predicted direction.

Accepted Answer

Evaluative research often involves multiple criteria for determining if data support a hypothesis, including statistical significance, effect size, and the consistency of results with theoretical expectations, not just the direction of the data.

Question 11

What is practical significance? What is statistical significance? Can you have practical significance from the results of your evaluative study if you do not have statistical significance? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is practical significance? What is statistical...

Question 12

What is the study sample you could employ to evaluate practice in a familiar agency? What is the study population for this study? Can you generalize your study findings to the study population on a scientific basis? Explain why. What information would you need in order to generalize your findings on a logical basis?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the study sample you could...

Question 13

Describe an evaluation of practice you might undertake in a given agency. What research design might you employ in this study? Does this design address maturation as a threat to internal validity? Explain why you believe that maturation should or should not be of special concern in this situation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe an evaluation of practice you might...

Question 14

What should be the focus of the first sentence of the conclusions section of a research report on an evaluative study? Present an imaginary first sentence of a conclusions section that fulfills this expectation.
Ans. The focus of the first sentence of the conclusions section of an evaluative research report would be the results of the study. While the conclusions section will typically have information on the strengths and limitations of the study as well as the implications of the results for social work practice, the initial focus of this section should be the results. For example, the first sentence might say "The data from this study supports the conclusion that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in the reduction of depression for women suffering from postpartum depression."

Accepted Answer

The answer of What should be the focus of the...

Question 15

What are two of the guidelines for stating the study hypothesis for an evaluative study? Prepare a study hypothesis that fulfils this requirement.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are two of the guidelines for...

Quiz 8: Conducting Research That Evaluates Services