Research Methods for Social Workers, 8th Edition Test Bank

CHAPTER 2 – TESTBANK Multiple Choice Questions Choose the BEST possible answer for each of the following. 1. Which group of people may not be truly “voluntary participants” in research studies, even if they sign an informed consent form? A. students for whom participation is a course requirement B. students who sign up in the Student Center C. patients who sign up in a medical clinic D. women who are pregnant 2. What factor sometimes influences an Institutional Review Board to approve a research study that requires the use of deception? A. The findings of the research would be likely to be beneficial to society. B. The knowledge sought can be acquired in some other way. C. The research participants may be harmed by the deception. D. The IRB is really interested in the topic. 3. The Tuskegee Public Health Service studies considered a violation of research ethics primarily because: A. the research participants’ confidentiality was not respected. B. the researchers offered nothing in return for participants’ participation. C. the participants suffered unnecessarily after a cure for syphilis was discovered. D. the researchers deliberately exposed participants to the disease. 4. Milgram’s study that led participants to believe that they were administering shocks is considered unethical primarily because: A. participants did not agree to participate in the research. B. confidentiality of participants was violated. C. deception was used. D. participants were left less emotionally healthy following the research. 5. Critics of the Humphrey’s study of behavior in public places have been most concerned with the violation of the research participants’ right to: A. voluntary informed consent. B. confidentiality. C. debriefing and restoration. D. no unnecessary pain and suffering. 6. What is a question that is really NOT central to research ethics? A. Who will benefit or suffer from the actions of the researcher? B. Whose rights should take priority over the rights of others? C. Does the end (knowledge) justify the means (potential discomfort or harm to participants)? D. Will it produce an article for the researcher? 7. When potential human research participants appear to lack understanding of what the research will entail and to sign a statement of voluntary informed consent, this should be handled by: A. having witnesses present when data are collected from them. B. using an advocate to decide whether or not it is in their best interest to become research participants. C. providing them with written assurances of anonymity. D. allowing them to agree verbally to participate as research participants. 8. The term “assent” in research ethics refers to the issue of: A. whether some people should be forced to take part in a research study. B. the degree to which older children should be allowed to be involved in the decision as to whether they will participate in research. C. whether research studies that involve dual relationships should ever be permitted. D. whether a researcher should be allowed to know who participated in research and who refused to participate. 9. The primary function of “Institutional Review Boards” and other similar groups is to: A. train research interviewers. B. provide advice on designing research. C. decide whether to approve or disapprove research studies involving the use of human participants. D. interview potential research participants. 10. A social work researcher has an ethical obligation to: A. protect his or her research participants. B. ensure politicians that the research is good. C. ensure if a university is involved that they get credit. D. pay the participants 11. A study is considering the effectiveness of a curriculum in reducing violence. The author of the curriculum is currently marketing it to afterschool programs. The other researchers on the team are concerned. What is the ethical concern of the research team? A. informed consent B. confidentiality C. potential harm of participants D. Conflicts of interest 12. The Tuskegee Study is an unfortunate example of unethical research. One ethical problem of the research is the psychological damage it inflicted, however, what is the most glaring ethical issue with the Tuskegee Study? A. Lack of empirical evidence B. Problems with anonymity C. Misrepresentation of findings D. Physical harm 13. The researcher assures the research participants that their participation will be confidential. What is the researcher promising? A. The researcher is promising that no one will know who they are. B. Only the data entry person will know who they are C. Only the researcher will know who they are. D. The researcher cannot make this promise 14. Informed consent is a safeguard to help protect research participants from harm. What does this mean to the research participant? A. It is simply a part of the form B. It means the researcher can change the procedures if necessary. C. That after the consent if given the researcher will explain the study. D. The participant must be informed about the study before giving consent. 15. The Tuskegee study led to the development of what ethical principle? A. No unnecessary pain and suffering B. Confidentiality C. Dual-role relationships D. Anonymity 16. All of the following ethical questions were raised by the Laud Humphreys studies of homosexual behavior except one: A. Had the researcher validated the clients’ right to privacy? B. Had participation in the study been voluntary? C. Could the researchers have obtained this data without the use of deception? D. Was this research necessary since so much was already known about this population? 17. All of the following are possible examples of voluntary clients not really being voluntary, except one: A. Business owners will share information about their companies in order to improve service delivery. B. Poor single mothers will get free child care for participating. C. Students will get extra credit for volunteering. D. Drug addicts will receive monetary payment for participating 18. Deception may be considered ethical if: A. the information acquired in the end is known to be very valuable. B. the researcher can be reasonably confident that the participants will not suffer long-term damage. C. the deception is deemed relatively harmless and there is no alternative nondeception method that can be used. D. the clients never know they are being deceived. 19. The first ethical principle cited by the influential Belmont Report is autonomy, which can be defined as: A. a thorough risk/benefit calculation must be performed B. demands equitable selection of participants C. obligation on the part of the researcher to respect each participant as a person capable of making an informed decision D. equality in distribution of benefits and burdens among the population group(s) likely to benefit from the research. 20. Consequences for engaging in research misconduct are varied but may include: A. ineligibility for future grants B. only effects the researcher not the university C. is very embarrassing but does not include monetary penalties D. usually happens to all novice researchers. 21. A peer review committee of five or more volunteers who review research proposals and monitor ongoing research to ensure human subjects are adequately protected are: A. NASW B. Institutional Review Board C. Human Subjects Board D. CSWE 22. The three principles outlined in the Belmont report that should outline ethical practice in research are: A. Strong focus on community, adaptability of family roles, and a strong religious belief system. B. Anonymity, confidentiality, and ethics C. Reliability, validity, and replication D. Respect for the individual, beneficence, and justice 23. Anonymity is best defined as: A. Not collecting any identifying information on the subjects participating in your research study. B. Assuring the human subjects of your research that all information about them, and all answers they provide, will remain in the hands of the investigator and that no person outside the research process will have access to their information. C. Asking human subjects to sign a form before participating in a study that provides full information about the features of the study that might affect their decision about whether to participate, particularly regarding its procedures and potential harm. D. Insuring that human subjects are aware that they are participating in a study and are informed of all the consequences of the study and consent to participate in the study. 24. David is a researcher who has been studying the effects of a 12-step program in addictions treatment. He is a strong advocate for a 12-step program. When the results are revealed, those in a 12-step program appeared to do no better than those in group therapy. He believes that something is wrong with the data, and decides to keep the results to himself. What ethical breach did he violate? A. Conflict of Interest B. Research Misconduct C. Human Subjects Violation D. It is not an ethical breach because he knows the 12 step program is more effective. 25. A way to give special care when obtaining consent from minority immigrant populations include all of the following except? A. consent forms should be provided in the research respondent’s native language. B. may require using bilingual or native-speaking research assistants. C. be sensitive to culturally determined patterns of deference to authority. D. make sure you offer the respondents food from their native county Essay Questions 1. How do the ethical dilemmas in the in the Stanford Prison experiments compare with the ethical issues raised by Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments? Would it be better if these studies had never been done? 2. Identify and describe three safeguards for ensuring ethical research. 3. Describe how social and economic justice issues can be addressed in research. 4. Review the Council of Social Work Educational policy that deals with research, list and describe three mandates from that policy that effect social work research. Chapter 2 (with difficulty level listed and Competency tested) 1. Answer: A Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 2. Answer: B Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 3. Answer: C Difficulty: 2 Competency: Policy Practice 4. Answer: D Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 5. Answer: A Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 6. Answer: D Difficulty: 2 Competency: Research Informed Practice 7. Answer: B Difficulty: 2 Competency: Evaluate Practice 8. Answer: B Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 9. Answer: C Difficulty: 2 Competency: Policy Practice 10. Answer: A Difficulty: 2 11. Answer: A Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 12. Answer: D Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 13. Answer: C Difficulty: 2 14. Answer: D Difficulty: 3 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 15. Answer: A Difficulty: 2 16. Answer: D Difficulty: 3 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 17. Answer: A Difficulty: 3 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 18. Answer: C Difficulty: 3 19. Answer: C Difficulty: 2 Competency: Advance Human Rights 20. Answer: A Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 21. Answer: B Difficulty: 1 22. Answer: D Difficulty: 1 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 23. Answer: A Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior Competency: Policy Practice Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior 24. Answer: B Difficulty: 1 25. Answer: D Difficulty: 2 Competency: Ethical/Professional Behavior Competency: Advance Human Rights [Difficulty: 1-Simple, 2-Moderate, 3-Complex] Feedback for Essay Questions 1. Possible ethical dilemmas comparisons could be: • Permanent harm to subjects. • Voluntary Informed Consent • Informed Consent • Deception for subjects • Use of vulnerable populations. • No unnecessary pain or harm Answering the question about whether these studies should never have been done the answer should include the idea of what we have learned about research from these studies have lead us to ensure safeguards in present studies. 2. Possible safeguards for ensuring ethical research (the response should include at least three safeguards): • work to protect the people and communities whom they study; • ethically and effectively participate in mentoring relationships that are crucial to scientific activity; • manage apparent an implicit conflicts of interest and commitment; • collaborate ethically with researchers from other professions and disciplines; • ensure that research data issues are managed properly; • employ responsible publication and authorship practices; • responsibly conduct and contribute to the peer-review process; • understand and prevent research misconduct. 3. Possible social and economic justice issues to be addressed in research could include: • The right of the vulnerable not to be exploited as a result of their vulnerability • The right of vulnerable population to participate in research that may be of benefit to them. • Researchers also need to be sensitive to culturally determined patterns of deference to authority that may cause respondents to feel they cannot or do not have the right to refuse participation in the study. • A researcher is ethically obligated to leave research participants preferably in better condition than they were found, but at least in no worse condition. 4. Possible list of mandates from CSWE policy include: • Social work researchers must strive not to harm the people or communities that they are studying. • Social work researchers have a responsibility to mentor trainees in a manner that enhances the professional development of the latter and advances the general progress of the profession. • Social work researchers are encouraged to develop relationships with public and private institutions. However, social work researchers should scrutinize their research endeavors and seek to avoid and eliminate any improper conflicts of interest that might result from their activities • • • • Contemporary social work research is rarely an individual enterprise. Multidisciplinary and community-based research are often required, especially for significant research investigations Researchers need to consult and understand the regulations and obligations involved as they conduct research. Publication of research findings should include appropriate attribution of authorship. Peer review is critical for the advancement of science.