MSW Social Work Research and Policy 4

Question 1

A social worker is conducting a program evaluation using a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent comparison group. The PRIMARY threat to internal validity this design addresses less well than a true experiment is:

Accepted Answer

Selection bias

Answer

Without random assignment, non-equivalent comparison groups may differ systematically at baseline, making selection bias the primary threat to internal validity.

Question 2

The Social Determinants of Health framework used in social work policy advocacy most directly addresses which root cause of health disparities?

Accepted Answer

Structural conditions like income, housing, education, and neighborhood environment

Answer

The Social Determinants of Health framework emphasizes that structural and environmental factors — not individual behavior or biology alone — are the primary drivers of health inequities.

Question 3

When conducting a systematic literature review, the PRIMARY advantage of registering the review protocol in advance (e.g., in PROSPERO) is to:

Accepted Answer

Prevent outcome reporting bias by documenting methods before data collection

Answer

Pre-registration establishes the review's methods and outcomes of interest before data are examined, preventing selective reporting of favorable findings.

Question 4

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Essential Health Benefits must include which of the following service categories relevant to social work?

Accepted Answer

Mental health and substance use disorder services with parity

Answer

The ACA requires all marketplace plans to cover mental health and substance use disorder services as Essential Health Benefits, with parity to medical/surgical benefits.

Question 5

In grounded theory research, 'theoretical saturation' is reached when:

Accepted Answer

New data no longer generate new theoretical categories or properties

Answer

Theoretical saturation occurs when additional data collection and analysis add no new insights to the emerging theory, signaling that sampling can stop.

MSW - Master of Social Work Practice Test

MSW - Master of Social Work Practice Test

MSW Social Work Research and Policy 4