Research and Program Evaluation Flashcards

A social worker wants to measure whether a job-training program reduces unemployment. Which evaluation design best establishes causality?

Answer: Pre-test/post-test with a control group

A pre-test/post-test design with a control group controls for threats to internal validity, allowing causal inferences.

Which sampling method is most appropriate when no complete list of the target population exists?

Answer: Snowball sampling

Snowball sampling uses referrals from known participants to reach hidden or hard-to-find populations.

A researcher finds a p-value of 0.03. What does this indicate?

Answer: There is a 3% probability the results occurred by chance under the null hypothesis

A p-value represents the probability of obtaining results as extreme as observed if the null hypothesis were true.

In program evaluation, 'process evaluation' primarily examines:

Answer: Whether the program was implemented as intended

Process evaluation (also called implementation evaluation) assesses fidelity to the program model and service delivery.

A social work researcher uses an unvalidated instrument to measure depression. This most directly threatens which aspect of the study?

Answer: Measurement validity

Using an unvalidated instrument threatens measurement validity because it may not accurately capture the construct being studied.

Which research approach is most consistent with an interpretivist paradigm?

Answer: Grounded theory

Grounded theory is a qualitative method that seeks to generate theory from data, consistent with interpretivist assumptions about subjective meaning.

When evaluating a domestic violence shelter program, an evaluator compares outcomes of women who sought services versus those who did not. The biggest threat to internal validity is:

Answer: Selection bias

Selection bias occurs because women who self-select into shelter services likely differ in motivation and resources from those who do not seek services.