Counseling Research and Program Evaluation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An evaluation conducted during program implementation to provide feedback for improvement is called:
- Summative evaluation
- Formative evaluation (Correct answer)
- Impact evaluation
- Meta-evaluation
Correct answer: Formative evaluation
Formative evaluation occurs while a program is ongoing and is used to refine and improve it.
Question 2: A community agency surveys residents to identify gaps in mental health services before designing a new program. This is a:
- Needs assessment (Correct answer)
- Outcome evaluation
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Fidelity check
Correct answer: Needs assessment
A needs assessment identifies the discrepancy between current and desired conditions before a program is developed.
Question 3: An evaluator examines whether a school counseling curriculum is being delivered as designed. This focuses on:
- Summative outcomes
- Long-term impact
- Implementation fidelity (process evaluation) (Correct answer)
- Return on investment
Correct answer: Implementation fidelity (process evaluation)
Process evaluation examines how a program is delivered, including fidelity to its intended design.
Question 4: In a logic model, the number of counseling sessions delivered and clients served are best classified as:
- Inputs
- Outcomes
- Activities
- Outputs (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Outputs
Outputs are the direct, countable products of program activities, while outcomes are changes in participants.
Question 5: The primary role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to:
- Approve research funding
- Protect the rights and welfare of human research participants (Correct answer)
- Analyze study data for accuracy
- Publish research findings
Correct answer: Protect the rights and welfare of human research participants
IRBs review research protocols to ensure the protection of human participants, as required by federal regulations.
Question 6: An evaluator compares two programs by cost per client who achieves sobriety, without converting outcomes into dollars. This is a:
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Cost-effectiveness analysis (Correct answer)
- Needs assessment
- Discrepancy evaluation
Correct answer: Cost-effectiveness analysis
Cost-effectiveness analysis compares costs per unit of a nonmonetary outcome, whereas cost-benefit analysis converts outcomes into dollars.
Question 7: Practitioners who systematically study and improve their own counseling practice within their setting are conducting:
- Action research (Correct answer)
- Meta-analysis
- Longitudinal survey research
- Ex post facto research
Correct answer: Action research
Action research is practitioner-led inquiry aimed at solving local problems and improving practice.