MSW Social Work Masters 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which theoretical perspective in social work argues that problems are maintained by social structures and inequitable distribution of power and resources?
- Psychodynamic theory
- Structural social work theory (Correct answer)
- Cognitive behavioral theory
- Solution-focused brief therapy
Correct answer: Structural social work theory
Structural social work locates the source of clients' problems in oppressive social structures rather than individual deficits.
Question 2: A social worker at a school notices a student's grades have dramatically declined following their parents' divorce. This is BEST explained through which lens?
- Behavioral conditioning — the student is reinforced for poor performance
- Person-in-environment — the family transition is affecting the student's functioning (Correct answer)
- Attachment theory — the student has an insecure attachment to the teacher
- Cognitive distortion — the student holds irrational beliefs about academic ability
Correct answer: Person-in-environment — the family transition is affecting the student's functioning
The person-in-environment framework examines how changes in the social environment, like family disruption, affect individual functioning.
Question 3: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), what obligation do social service agencies generally have toward clients with disabilities?
- Provide any accommodation a client requests regardless of cost
- Make reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to services (Correct answer)
- Refer clients with disabilities to specialized disability-only agencies
- Offer separate but equivalent programs for clients with disabilities
Correct answer: Make reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to services
The ADA requires reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access, balanced against undue hardship to the organization.
Question 4: Which technique in cognitive behavioral therapy involves systematically testing the validity of a client's negative automatic thoughts?
- Free association
- Systematic desensitization
- Socratic questioning (Correct answer)
- Narrative restructuring
Correct answer: Socratic questioning
Socratic questioning guides clients to examine evidence for and against automatic thoughts, facilitating cognitive restructuring.
Question 5: A social worker employed by a child welfare agency learns that agency policy is violating clients' legal rights. What is the MOST appropriate first step?
- Immediately report the agency to the state licensing authority
- Raise the concern internally through appropriate administrative channels (Correct answer)
- Continue following agency policy to maintain employment
- Publicly disclose the violation to local media
Correct answer: Raise the concern internally through appropriate administrative channels
Ethical practice typically involves first using internal channels to address policy violations before escalating externally.
Question 6: In substance use treatment, what does the harm reduction model primarily aim to do?
- Require abstinence as the only acceptable treatment outcome
- Minimize the negative consequences of substance use without requiring cessation (Correct answer)
- Criminalize substance use to deter harmful behaviors
- Hospitalize individuals until they achieve full sobriety
Correct answer: Minimize the negative consequences of substance use without requiring cessation
Harm reduction accepts that some individuals may continue using substances and focuses on reducing associated harms and health risks.
Question 7: Which type of validity refers to the degree to which a research instrument measures what it is intended to measure?
- Internal validity
- External validity
- Construct validity (Correct answer)
- Statistical validity
Correct answer: Construct validity
Construct validity assesses whether an instrument accurately measures the theoretical construct it is designed to assess.
MSW Social Work Masters 5
Which theoretical perspective in social work argues that problems are maintained by social structures and inequitable distribution of power and resources?