Question 1

An unstable family relationship has caused Linda to have feelings of low self-esteem. The client feels that coping with problems and managing stress requires her to take control of something. With this in mind, Linda places a focus on her body. She feels to master her emotions and find happiness, she must achieve the ideal thinness. What kind of disorder would an assessment identify?
A)Genetic predisposition disorder
B)Family dynamic disorder
C)Chronic fatigue syndrome
D)Eating disorder

Accepted Answer

Eating disorders are caused by psychological, emotional, or social factors and family dynamics. Symptoms include a dramatic weight gain or loss, obsessive exercising, feelings of isolation, and a preoccupation with body image. Media through television, magazines, and movies promotes being thin as a way to be recognized or liked.

Question 2

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complicated disorder that doctors have just recently characterized as a psychological problem. The symptoms interfere with job-related functions, socialization, and family life. It appears to worsen with physical or mental activity and most times will not improve with rest. What signs would an assessment identify?
A)Swollen lymph nodes
B)Swollen toes
C)Back aches
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

This disorder was a mystery for years and not classified as a disorder until recently. Doctors have realized the severity of the problem and recommend therapy that will eliminate the problem. Symptoms of headaches, sore throats, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, memory loss, and extreme exhaustion are quite common with this disorder.

Question 3

Oppositional defiant disorder is an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, hostile, and defiant behavior towards authority figures. The symptoms are mostly noticed at home and school, with 16% of students suffering from this disorder. Talking back, questioning rules, and resentment are just a few of the demonstrated signs. What would be the first thing a social worker may do to start an assessment of a disruptive 8-year-old?
A)Contact the child's teacher
B)Contact a friend of the child
C)See if he has a police record
D)Rule out ADHD

Accepted Answer

The social worker should contact the child's teacher to see what his behaviors have been like at school. Compare the results to what the parents describe at home. If there are similarities, the child should be referred for professional services dealing with oppositional defiant disorder.

Question 4

Oppositional defiant disorder affects 16% of school-aged children and adolescents. There are no known causes for ODD, but parents report their child with this problem being more demanding as a youngster. What symptoms should appear before a social worker completes a full assessment?
A)Excessive arguing
B)Active defiance with adult requests
C)Both A and B
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

Symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder include excessive arguing, easily annoyed by others, hateful when talking, active defiance with adult requests, and frequent temper tantrums. Oppositional defiant disorder describes children with serious behaviors that are uncooperative and hostile towards authority figures. The problem is often observed at home and school, affecting a child's family, social, and academic life.

Question 5

Once an assessment has been completed, there are psychotherapeutic approaches aimed at solving problems concerning dysfunctional emotions. These may include post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and clinical depression. Technique-driven and direct treatments are given for specific psychological disorders. Therapy can be given individually or in a group setting with self-help methods. What is this treatment program called?
A)Evidence-based treatment
B)Exposure therapy
C)Cognitive restructuring treatment
D)Cognitive behavioral therapy

Accepted Answer

Cognitive behavioral therapy was developed through a merging of behavior therapy and cognitive therapy. Both traditions are commonly utilized for focusing on present issues and ways for alleviating symptoms of a specific disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been evaluated for efficacy and is the treatment of choice for many mental health difficulties.

Question 6

Melody's mother has never had a great memory when it comes to intricate details, but lately she is noticing more of a loss. Five years ago, her mother was diagnosed with a slight case of dementia. Lately, she is demonstrating confusion and other major changes in her way of thinking. Testing from the mother's doctor confirms that brain cells are failing and an assessment by a clinical social worker clarifies what disorder?
A)Cognitive delay syndrome
B)Autism syndrome
C)Social identity disorder
D)Alzheimer's disease

Accepted Answer

Alzheimer's disease causes memory loss and problems with thinking that interfere with work, hobbies, and social life. The disorder gets worse over time, with no known cure. Treatment helps individuals cope and live life better while scientists continue to find a way to prevent the problem. Currently, it affects 5.3 million Americans with fatal outcomes.

Question 7

Stephanie has always been an active child, but prefers to play by herself. She enjoys taking things apart and putting them back together. She lacks social and emotional reciprocity that causes a failure in peer relationship development. There is a noticeable delay in spoken language and Stephanie would rather point or mime. With these symptoms in mind, what probable diagnosis would Stephanie more than likely be given?
A)Autism disorder
B)Tourette syndrome
C)Social conduct disorder
D)Narcissistic disorder

Accepted Answer

Autism is a spectrum disorder that varies according to one's development and chronological age. There is impairment in social interaction and communication, with restricted interest in most activities. Most children with this disorder have a problem in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as facial expressions and body postures.

Question 8

Autism is a spectrum disorder defined by a certain set of behaviors that children and adults exhibit in varying ways. The main symptom of autism is the abnormal or impaired development of communication and social interaction. Two people with the same diagnosis may display any combination of behaviors in any degree of severity. What criteria are needed on an assessment for an autism diagnosis?
A)Failure to develop peer relationships
B)Delay in the spoken language
C)Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
D)All of the above

Accepted Answer

Autism manifestations vary according to developmental level and chronological age. Approximately one-third of patients with an autism disorder have a normal IQ. Other names for this disorder include Early Infantile Autism, Childhood Autism, or Kanner's Autism. Researchers report individuals with this problem have abnormalities in many areas of the brain.

Question 9

Calvin is an 8-year-old who has difficulty with involuntary movements and vocalizations. He will stamp his feet while echoing what others say. Calvin has very little control over his behaviors and symptoms appear to be increasing with age. The child needs to complete a series of foot stampings before he seems to calm down and relax. These symptoms mimic what kind of disorder?
A)Narcissistic disorder
B)Anti-social disorder
C)Obsessive compulsive disorder
D)Tourette syndrome

Accepted Answer

Tourette syndrome affects men three times more than women and behaviors are at their worst during adolescent years. One third of individuals with this disorder have family members with the same diagnosis. Involuntary body movements called tics increase with excitement or anxiety and appear to calm during relaxing activities. Certain triggers may induce symptoms such as hearing another person sniff or clear their throat.

Question 10

One of the key factors in achieving safety, permanence, and the well-being of a child is the creation of an effective assessment. This should engage the family and child as partners in planning. Face-to-face family team meetings are useful for assessing needs and recognizing strengths. Community and informal support systems may also be involved. What type of assessment is being described?
A)Behavior analysis assessment
B)Oppositional defiant assessment
C)Functional assessment
D)Behavior management assessment

Accepted Answer

Evidence of a good functional assessment of a child and family will be present when it flows naturally into service planning. The family is engaged in the entire process that is strengths-based, needs-based, and team-based. Functional assessments make use of family systems as relationships and interactions between members.

Question 11

Benjamin has had difficulty managing aggressive behaviors his whole life. He has been married three times and has two children who do not want to see him. Benjamin spent two years in jail for critically injuring a neighbor after their dog would not stop barking. What assessment would a social worker give this client?
A)Affect regulation
B)Judgment
C)Impulse control
D)Defensive functioning

Accepted Answer

Impulse control is the ability to manage aggressive wishes without immediate action through behavior. Problems with this ego function are common. Many individuals who suffer with this problem display sexual promiscuity, binge eating, and excessive drug or alcohol use.

Question 12

Roger plays football on the varsity team of his high school. He has always thought very highly of his coach and respects his input on various topics. When Roger's grades start slipping and a mid-term demonstrates an "F" in one of his classes, the coach suspends him for two games. Although Roger really likes his coach, he will not speak with him and has negative feelings towards their relationship. When assessing this problem, a social worker may recognize signs of what?
A)Synthesis
B)Object relations
C)Thought processes
D)Defensive functioning

Accepted Answer

The synthetic function within the ego has the capability to unify and organize other functions within a personality. The individual is able to feel, think, and act in a coherent manner. Pivotal development is achieved when one has the ability to synthesize these feelings.

Question 13

In direct practice, social workers may utilize cognitive therapy to help a client overcome difficulty by identifying and changing emotional responses, behaviors, and dysfunctional thinking. When these thoughts are questioned, one's feelings about the subject matter are apt to what?
A)Diminish
B)Change
C)Become stronger
D)Get aggressive

Accepted Answer

Cognitive therapy is a form of direct practice that involves helping clients develop skills in identifying distorted thinking, modifying beliefs, changing behaviors, and relating to others in different ways. This consists of testing assumptions the client makes and locating thoughts that become distorted, unhelpful, and unrealistic.

Question 14

Cognitive therapy involves helping clients develop skills for modifying beliefs, relating to others in different ways, identifying distorted thinking, and changing behaviors. If a client escapes the negative thought patterns and dysfunctional behaviors, the feelings may be relieved over time. Success is derived by developing more flexible ways to think and respond. An assessment would look at ways to reduce what?
A)Avoiding passive behaviors
B)Avoiding conflict
C)Avoiding others beliefs
D)Avoidance of activities

Accepted Answer

Adaptive responses and further constructive consequences become unlikely when the client avoids any type of activity. This reinforces the belief of being "no good at it." Strongly believing this tends to increase the negativity. Cognitive therapy addresses the way a client thinks and behaves in response to similar situations.

Question 15

Disqualifying the positive is a pattern recognized in cognitive therapy that treats positive events like they do not really count. All-or-nothing thinking fails to recognize there may be a middle ground. Characteristics include terms like always, forever, and never. Clients who take an isolated case and assume that all others are the same may be what?
A)Manic depressive
B)Over generalizing
C)Distinguishing the positives
D)Making assumptions

Accepted Answer

Social workers who practice cognitive therapy learn to recognize 10 common patterns of faulty thinking, which are known as cognitive distortions. Disqualifying the positive and all-or-nothing thinking are the most common. Others include emotional reasoning, mental filtering, jumping to conclusions, magnification, and minimization. Blaming oneself for things that are out of individual's control is an example of personalization.

Question 16

Direct practice often utilizes behavior therapy to treat depression, ADHD, addiction, insomnia, chronic fatigue, and phobias. Treatments may include assertiveness training, desensitization, and relaxation training. The length of therapeutic treatment varies with each individual client. What is the first thing a therapist must do when assessing the problem?
A)Modify the environment
B)Estimate the client's quality of life
C)Analyze the behaviors
D)Remove undesirable behaviors

Accepted Answer

Behavior therapy begins with the analysis of a trained therapist. The therapist analyzes the behaviors of a patient that cause stress, reduce the client's quality of life, or have a negative impact. Once this analysis is complete, the therapist chooses an appropriate treatment technique.

Question 17

Systematic desensitization teaches an individual to overcome an avoidance pattern by gradually exposing them to the object in question until it can be tolerated. There are steps within the hierarchy that will lead to this outcome. What is the first thing a social worker should assess?
A)Stress levels
B)Phobia or anxiety
C)Mental processing
D)Mental development

Accepted Answer

This form of behavior therapy helps people effectively overcome phobias and anxiety disorders. The goal of the process is to have the individual overcome their fears in steps. Discussion about the object will move to pictures of the object and then to seeing the object. Lastly, touching the object will demonstrate success. Gradual exposure helps eliminate the need for a client to avoid certain situations in an effort to reduce anxiety.

Question 18

Operant behavior therapy looks at the antecedent and consequence that causes a negative behavior. Reinforcement and punishment are the core tools that are either positive or negative. During the assessment, a therapist would need to determine what?
A)Modifications
B)Positive reinforcement
C)Negative reinforcement
D)Punishment

Accepted Answer

Operant behavior operates on the environment and is maintained by its consequences. The therapy deals with modifications of voluntary behavior in regards to environmental influences. There are four basic consequences known as positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.

Question 19

Operant behavior functions on the environment and is maintained by its consequences, while classical conditioning deals with the conditioning of reflexive behaviors which are elicited by antecedent conditions. Operant conditioning is distinguished from classical conditioning in that it deals with the modification of voluntary behaviors. When making an assessment, which of the following is not a basic consequence of operant conditioning?
A)Reinforcement
B)Punishment
C)Conditioning
D)Reward

Accepted Answer

The four basic consequences of operant conditioning are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. A fifth component is extinction where there is no change following a response.

Question 20

A behavior or response that is followed by a negative stimulus will often decrease the frequency of that behavior. A young boy will not do his homework. When the homework is not completed, he loses his video game system for the night. What consequence of operant conditioning does this describe?
A)Aversive stimulus
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Positive punishment
D)Punishment

Accepted Answer

A punishment is a consequence that causes a behavior to occur with less frequency. If an individual will not get the response needed or reward wanted, they will decrease inappropriate behaviors.

Quiz 2: Assessment

Oppositional defiant disorder affects 16% of school-aged children and adolescents. There are no known causes for ODD, but parents report their child with this problem being more demanding as a youngster. What symptoms should appear before a social worker completes a full assessment?

In direct practice, social workers may utilize cognitive therapy to help a client overcome difficulty by identifying and changing emotional responses, behaviors, and dysfunctional thinking. When these thoughts are questioned, one's feelings about the subject matter are apt to what?

Systematic desensitization teaches an individual to overcome an avoidance pattern by gradually exposing them to the object in question until it can be tolerated. There are steps within the hierarchy that will lead to this outcome. What is the first thing a social worker should assess?

Operant behavior therapy looks at the antecedent and consequence that causes a negative behavior. Reinforcement and punishment are the core tools that are either positive or negative. During the assessment, a therapist would need to determine what?

A behavior or response that is followed by a negative stimulus will often decrease the frequency of that behavior. A young boy will not do his homework. When the homework is not completed, he loses his video game system for the night. What consequence of operant conditioning does this describe?