Counseling Research and Program Evaluation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A counselor administers the same career interest inventory to clients twice, three weeks apart, and correlates the scores. What is being assessed?
- Internal consistency
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
- Interrater reliability
- Construct validity
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
Correlating scores from two administrations of the same test over time estimates test-retest reliability.
Question 2: Cronbach's alpha is most commonly used to estimate:
- Internal consistency reliability (Correct answer)
- Predictive validity
- Alternate-forms reliability
- Content validity
Correct answer: Internal consistency reliability
Cronbach's alpha estimates how consistently items on a scale measure the same construct.
Question 3: A qualitative researcher collects interview data with the goal of developing a new theory of resilience grounded in participants' accounts. Which tradition is this?
- Ethnography
- Phenomenology
- Grounded theory (Correct answer)
- Narrative inquiry
Correct answer: Grounded theory
Grounded theory uses systematic coding, such as open, axial, and selective coding, to generate theory from data.
Question 4: A researcher seeks to describe the essence of the lived experience of grief among widowed adults. Which qualitative approach fits best?
- Phenomenology (Correct answer)
- Case study
- Grounded theory
- Ethnography
Correct answer: Phenomenology
Phenomenology focuses on the essence and meaning of lived experiences shared by participants.
Question 5: Using interviews, observations, and document review to corroborate findings is an example of:
- Bracketing
- Member checking
- Thick description
- Triangulation (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Triangulation
Triangulation strengthens credibility by drawing on multiple data sources, methods, or investigators.
Question 6: A qualitative researcher asks participants to review the preliminary themes to confirm they accurately reflect their experiences. This strategy is called:
- Peer debriefing
- Member checking (Correct answer)
- Audit trail
- Negative case analysis
Correct answer: Member checking
Member checking enhances credibility by having participants verify the researcher's interpretations.
Question 7: A researcher deliberately selects participants who have completed substance abuse treatment because they have information-rich experiences. This is:
- Simple random sampling
- Stratified random sampling
- Purposive sampling (Correct answer)
- Systematic sampling
Correct answer: Purposive sampling
Purposive sampling intentionally selects participants with specific characteristics relevant to the research question.