CCC Research Methods & Program Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a research study, internal validity is threatened when participants in a control group seek alternative treatments on their own. This is known as:
- Attrition
- Testing effect
- Compensatory rivalry (Correct answer)
- History effect
Correct answer: Compensatory rivalry
Compensatory rivalry (also called the John Henry effect) occurs when control group participants work harder or seek outside help because they know they are not receiving the treatment, threatening internal validity.
Question 2: Which sampling method gives every member of a population an equal chance of being selected and is considered the gold standard for representativeness?
- Purposive sampling
- Convenience sampling
- Simple random sampling (Correct answer)
- Snowball sampling
Correct answer: Simple random sampling
Simple random sampling assigns every population member an equal, independent chance of selection, minimizing selection bias and maximizing the likelihood of a representative sample.
Question 3: A counselor uses a standardized depression scale before and after a 12-week intervention. This single-group pre-test/post-test design is best classified as:
- True experimental design
- Pre-experimental design (Correct answer)
- Correlational design
- Cross-sectional design
Correct answer: Pre-experimental design
A single-group pre-test/post-test design lacks a control group and random assignment, making it a pre-experimental design with limited ability to rule out rival explanations for change.
Question 4: Effect size in counseling research is important because it communicates:
- Whether the null hypothesis was rejected
- The probability that results occurred by chance
- The practical or clinical magnitude of the difference or relationship (Correct answer)
- The reliability of the measurement instrument
Correct answer: The practical or clinical magnitude of the difference or relationship
Effect size (e.g., Cohen's d, r) quantifies the practical magnitude of a research finding, complementing statistical significance by indicating how meaningful the difference or relationship is in real-world terms.
Question 5: Which qualitative research tradition is most focused on understanding culture, shared beliefs, and behaviors within a specific social group through prolonged observation?
- Grounded theory
- Phenomenology
- Ethnography (Correct answer)
- Narrative inquiry
Correct answer: Ethnography
Ethnography involves immersive, prolonged fieldwork within a cultural group to understand their shared practices, beliefs, and social norms from an insider perspective.
Question 6: A researcher finds a strong positive correlation (r = .82) between hours spent in counseling and self-reported well-being. The most accurate interpretation is:
- More hours in counseling causes higher well-being
- Well-being causes clients to attend more sessions
- Hours in counseling and well-being are strongly associated, but causation cannot be determined (Correct answer)
- The relationship is weak and unreliable
Correct answer: Hours in counseling and well-being are strongly associated, but causation cannot be determined
Correlation indicates the strength and direction of association between variables but cannot establish causation; other variables or reverse causation could explain the relationship.
Question 7: In program evaluation, a logic model is used primarily to:
- Calculate the statistical power of a study
- Visually map the relationships among program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes (Correct answer)
- Conduct a blind peer review of the program
- Select a random sample of program participants
Correct answer: Visually map the relationships among program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes
A logic model is a graphic representation that links a program's resources and activities to its intended outputs and outcomes, helping evaluators and stakeholders understand the program's theory of change.
CCC Research Methods & Program Evaluation 2
In a research study, internal validity is threatened when participants in a control group seek alternative treatments on their own.
This is known as: