Research Methods & Program Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real CCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research Methods & Program Evaluation flashcards as text
Which research design is most appropriate when a counselor wants to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between a therapeutic intervention and client outcomes?
Answer: Randomized controlled trial
Randomized controlled trials use random assignment to experimental and control groups, which controls for confounding variables and allows causal inferences to be drawn.
A counselor reviewing literature finds that most studies on a treatment show small but consistent positive effects. The most appropriate way to summarize this body of evidence is through a:
Answer: Meta-analysis
A meta-analysis statistically combines results from multiple studies to estimate an overall effect size and identify consistent patterns across the literature.
In research ethics, the principle of autonomy is best protected by ensuring participants receive:
Answer: Informed consent
Informed consent protects autonomy by ensuring participants voluntarily agree to participate with full understanding of the study's purpose, risks, and their right to withdraw.
A counseling researcher collects data by conducting in-depth interviews with 10 clients about their lived experience of grief. This approach is best described as:
Answer: Qualitative phenomenological research
Phenomenological qualitative research explores the subjective lived experiences of participants through methods such as in-depth interviews, focusing on meaning rather than measurement.
Which statistical measure indicates the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two continuous variables?
Answer: Pearson correlation coefficient
The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) ranges from -1 to +1 and quantifies both the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two continuous variables.
When a research finding is statistically significant (p < .05), this primarily means that:
Answer: The result is unlikely to be due to chance alone
Statistical significance (p < .05) indicates the probability of obtaining the observed result by chance is less than 5%, but does not confirm clinical significance or generalizability.
A counseling agency wants to assess whether its new anxiety program is achieving its intended goals. The most appropriate evaluation approach is:
Answer: Summative evaluation
Summative evaluation measures whether a program has achieved its goals and outcomes at the end of the program, making it appropriate for assessing overall program effectiveness.