Research and Program Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real LPC 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 and Program Evaluation flashcards as text
Which of the following is an example of a confounding variable in counseling research?
Answer: Client motivation for therapy that affects both group assignment and outcomes
A confounding variable is correlated with both the independent and dependent variables, providing an alternative explanation for observed results.
A counselor reads a meta-analysis on CBT for PTSD. Which of the following BEST describes the key advantage of meta-analysis over a single study?
Answer: It statistically integrates findings across multiple studies to increase statistical power
Meta-analysis pools effect sizes across multiple studies to increase statistical power and produce more stable, generalizable estimates of treatment effects.
In qualitative research, 'member checking' is used to enhance:
Answer: Credibility by having participants verify the accuracy of findings
Member checking enhances credibility (the qualitative analog to internal validity) by returning findings to participants for verification and correction.
An LPC administering a standardized assessment notes that a client's raw score of 42 corresponds to a T-score of 65. This T-score indicates the client scores:
Answer: 1.5 standard deviations above the mean
T-scores have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10, so a T-score of 65 is 1.5 standard deviations above the mean.
A researcher wants to study whether childhood trauma predicts adult depression without manipulating any variables. The MOST appropriate design is:
Answer: Ex post facto (causal-comparative) research design
Ex post facto research examines the relationship between a pre-existing condition (childhood trauma) and an outcome (adult depression) without researcher manipulation.
Which of the following is the PRIMARY purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
Answer: Protecting the rights and welfare of human research participants
IRBs exist specifically to protect human subjects by reviewing research proposals for ethical risks, informed consent procedures, and participant welfare.
A counselor implements a new substance abuse program and tracks weekly urine screening results across six months. This BEST exemplifies which type of program evaluation?
Answer: Outcome evaluation
Outcome evaluation measures whether a program achieved its intended goals—in this case, reduced substance use as indicated by urine screening results.