1.A social work researcher wants to see if a new case management system will improve services to homeless families. Families First operates six different transitional living centers in a large metropolitan area. They offer no services except for temporary housing for up to one year. The researchers believe that offering case management services will decrease time in the transitional facility, improve housing stability and improve self-efficacy. After a series of meetings with the center directors, three of the centers were chosen by the Executive Board to pilot test the case management program, while the other three were to proceed as usual, with no case management services. The centers were compared on the number of days the clients lived in the center, housing stability at 18 months from enrollment (six months after mandatory termination), and on a self-efficacy scale that is given to clients when they move in and when they move out of the Center. Based on the above vignette, list the independent variable and the dependent variables and their values (if the values can be determined).
2.A researcher is interested in seeing if a transitional housing program for homeless female vets will increase self-efficacy and lead to housing stability within a year. The 200 women participating in the program are given a scale to measure self-efficacy before entering the program and again at the end of the year long program. They are also assessed for their housing stability at intake and termination by being asked if they live in a transitional housing, in a shelter, “on the streets,” or in permanent housing. a) Identify the variables. b) Identify the values for each variable. c) What are the levels of measurement of each variable?
3.Name the type of data collection technique that is represented by the operational definitions below: (1points each; 4points total)
A. Measuring depression using the Beck Depression Inventory
B. Measuring client satisfaction with treatment by a set of questions developed by the agency staff.
C. Measuring family conflict by watching them do an assigned complex task through a two-way mirror.
D. Measuring criminal behavior by examining the arrest records of subjects and noting their arrests, charges and convictions.
4.A group of researchers showed their instrument to measure the impact of Military Sexual Trauma to the Defense Department Task Force on this issue. They wanted to be sure that their questionnaire included all of the nuances of this complex issue. What measurement principle were the researchers trying to establish?
5.A social worker is a clinician at an inpatient treatment center for clients with substance abuse disorders. The center has used a traditional recovery model approach, however, they want to experiment with using Mindfulness Therapy to enhance treatment effectiveness. Using the agency database, they have the computer choose which 50% of the incoming clients between January and December will receive mindfulness therapy as part of their treatment regimen along with the traditional recovery model interventions; the other 50% not selected by the computer will receive the traditional recovery model program only. They used a reliable and valid scale to measure cravings for drugs or alcohol at the beginning of treatment and at termination to measure their substance cravings, and they also followed the clients one year after release from the in-treatment program to see if they relapsed or not, and also measured their craving at the end of the year as well. Based on the above vignette, list the independent variable and the dependent variables and their values (if the values can be determined).
6.Research was conducted to see if a clinical interview protocol was effective for assessing readiness for treatment for adolescent substance abusers. The subjects were interviewed by three separate therapists and the scores compared. Kappa was .94. What does this measure indicate in terms of measurement principles?