LSP Program Evaluation & Consultation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A logic model for a prevention program maps inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. The 'outputs' component refers to:
- Long-term changes in participant behavior
- Immediate products of program activities such as sessions delivered (Correct answer)
- Resources invested in the program
- Impact on the broader community
Correct answer: Immediate products of program activities such as sessions delivered
Outputs are the direct, measurable products of program activities, such as the number of sessions conducted or participants served.
Question 2: An evaluator finds that a school-based counseling program produces significant effects only in schools with high administrative support. This finding is an example of:
- Main effect
- Type I error
- Moderator effect (Correct answer)
- Mediator effect
Correct answer: Moderator effect
A moderator effect occurs when a third variable (administrative support) changes the strength or direction of the relationship between the program and outcomes.
Question 3: During organizational consultation, a psychologist discovers that conflict between two department heads is undermining a new initiative. The consultant's most appropriate next step is to:
- Dismiss the conflict as outside the consultation scope
- Address the interpersonal conflict as part of the systemic problem (Correct answer)
- Report both parties to upper management immediately
- Terminate the consultation contract
Correct answer: Address the interpersonal conflict as part of the systemic problem
Organizational consultation views interpersonal conflicts as systemic issues that directly affect organizational functioning and must be addressed.
Question 4: Which ethical principle is MOST relevant when a program evaluator is hired by an organization but finds evidence of program harm to participants?
- Autonomy
- Beneficence and nonmaleficence (Correct answer)
- Fidelity to the sponsor
- Justice
Correct answer: Beneficence and nonmaleficence
Beneficence and nonmaleficence obligate the evaluator to protect participants from harm, even when findings are unfavorable to the sponsoring organization.
Question 5: A consultant working with a school system to reduce disciplinary referrals uses a problem-solving model that involves problem identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, and plan evaluation. This framework is most consistent with:
- Behavioral consultation (Bergan & Kratochwill) (Correct answer)
- Mental health consultation (Caplan)
- Instructional consultation (Rosenfield)
- Organizational consultation (Schein)
Correct answer: Behavioral consultation (Bergan & Kratochwill)
Bergan and Kratochwill's behavioral consultation model follows a structured four-stage process: problem identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, and problem evaluation.
Question 6: An evaluator calculates a program's net monetary benefit compared to its cost. This analysis is known as:
- Cost-effectiveness analysis
- Cost-benefit analysis (Correct answer)
- Cost-utility analysis
- Efficiency audit
Correct answer: Cost-benefit analysis
Cost-benefit analysis converts all costs and outcomes into monetary units to calculate a net benefit or benefit-to-cost ratio.
Question 7: A psychologist consulting in a hospital notices that nursing staff avoid involving the psychology team in patient care decisions. The consultant should FIRST:
- Escalate the issue to hospital administration
- Explore systemic and cultural factors contributing to this pattern (Correct answer)
- Reduce the consultation service's visibility to avoid conflict
- Insist on mandatory psychology referrals
Correct answer: Explore systemic and cultural factors contributing to this pattern
Effective organizational consultation begins with understanding the systemic and cultural context before implementing any intervention.
LSP Program Evaluation & Consultation 3
A logic model for a prevention program maps inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes.
The 'outputs' component refers to: