LPC - Scenarios

Question 1

To measure the effectiveness of a particular management style, a consultant uses one approach with one group of employees and a second approach with another. Only the consultant knows which technique is being investigated. Which procedure is this?

Answer 1

Correct answer: Single blind

Explanation: In a single blind experiment the subjects do not know whether they are in the treatment or placebo group. In a double blind, neither the participants nor the experimenter know which subjects are in the treatment or placebo group.

Question 2

Thought records can be especially helpful when:

Answer 2

Correct answer: Tracing thought triggers

Explanation: Since thought records can help identify the thought that happened immediately before automatic thoughts, they may provide a point of reference for what triggers someone to engage the automatic thoughts.

Question 3

The concept of maturity in one’s life vocation is expressed by:

Answer 3

Correct answer: Super

Explanation: According to Super, life roles have an impact on career choice. Super believed there are five vocational developmental tasks. As in other developmental systems, lower tasks must be resolved before higher tasks can be accomplished. Vocational maturity is the degree to which a person has completed these vocational developmental tasks.

Question 4

What describes the recognition of the shared feelings and the similar experiences members within a group share that validates experiences, removes isolation and raises a sense of self and esteem?

Answer 4

Explanation: Universality is the recognition of shared feelings and experiences members in a group have that validate experiences, reduce or remove the sense of isolation and raise self-worth. It is not simply imitating behavior, cohesiveness or the need to and belonging to a group (sense of validation, acceptance), or release of emotional distress through emotional expression.

Question 5

A researcher has compared two means to determine the effects of an independent variable on a dependent variable. Which p-value would indicate that her results are statistically significant?

Answer 5

Correct answer: .05

Explanation: A significance level is also called a p value. A p-value that is equal to or less than .05 means that the results are statistically significant. The researcher can reject the null hypothesis (the hypothesis that says there is NO difference between the variables being tested) and accept the alternative hypothesis (the researcher’s hypothesis that they’re trying to prove).

Question 6

Which of the following are some of the “confidence traps” that a therapist may fall into when utilizing motivational interviewing?

Answer 6

Correct answer: 1. “I’ll take over now, thank you” 2. “There there, you’ll be fine” 3. Gloom a deux

Explanation: These are therapist issues. If not well trained in motivational interviewing, there is a temptation to abandon motivational interviewing and fall back into advice or direction giving. When this happens, the therapy is no longer collaborative. In the gloom a deux trap, the therapist shares the client’s perception of helplessness.

Question 7

You have designed an experiment to see what effect singing has on learning sign language. As part of the study, you are gathering pre- and post-test data. You are concerned that the pre-test might have an effect on the experiment. How would you best contend with this?

Answer 7

Correct answer: Solomon four-group design

Explanation: To set up a Solomon Four-Group design, a population is randomly divided into four sample. Two of the groups are “treatment” groups and two are “control” groups receiving no treatment. Two groups are given a pre-test and a post-test. Two groups receive only a post-test. There end up being four groups and each of the four groups is different from the other groups. Among other purposes for this design, the idea is to control for the effect of taking a pre-test that might compromise the outcomes. In essence, it allows you to control for the effect of the test itself.

Question 8

Which of the following is associated with standard deviation?

Answer 8

Correct answer: The mean

Explanation: Standard deviation (SD) is the average of the squared differences between the units in a set of data and the mean of the data set.

Question 9

Nancy is leading a group session in which a member’s behavior is impacting her, triggering both frustration and anger because of the constant complaints on issues from the type of tissues available, light bulbs used, weather, and traffic, to behaviors of sports figures and other current events. This group member’s focus in treatment is on his experiences of rejection and struggles to maintain friendships and romantic relationships. As the group therapist, Nancy should:

Answer 9

Correct answer: Let the group member know how he is affecting Nancy in a non-blaming manner

Explanation: Nancy should share her own reactions, but do so in a non-blaming manner. This will role-model for the group how to provide feedback, and it will give the group member vital feedback about how his behavior may be impacting others in his life, causing the very reaction that he seeks to avoid.

Question 10

At what point can a child tell the difference between a stranger and someone he/she knows?

Answer 10

Correct answer: Six months

Explanation: Children begin to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar faces at approximately six months

Question 11

Ann is anxious about her relationships and constantly worries she is doing something offensive to others. As she goes about her day, she worries about how she engages with others, what she will bring to her nephew’s birthday party, how she will focus during the staff meeting, and what she will do if she cannot sleep again tonight. Her thoughts are constant, day and night. Ann’s symptoms are most consistent with:

Answer 11

Correct answer: Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Explanation: Ann’s symptoms are most consistent with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. While Ann is concerned about her social encounters, her focus is on the state of the relationship and not fears of being evaluated.

Question 12

Before giving an assignment, behavioral therapists should watch clients for:

Answer 12

Correct answer: Signs that they are hesitant to change

Explanation: When a client shows hesitation to change a behavior, this indicates that he or she may not be ready to take on responsibility for the role he or she plays, however large or small, in the present dysfunction.

Question 13

During your initial assessment, the client states that she has major issues with getting to sleep. What is the best question to ask about sleep to screen for insomnia?

Answer 13

Correct answer: Does your lack of sleep interfere with your day to day activities?

Explanation: Asking how her sleep habits impact her daily activities is appropriate because you want to know if she can make it through the day. If she reports being too tired with doing activities at home, work, or hanging out with friends, she may meet the criteria for Insomnia Disorder.

Question 14

An 87-year-old client says he is having problems accepting the fact that he will not live forever, his life is pretty much over, and he will shortly die. According to Erikson, which developmental crisis has the man not yet resolved?

Answer 14

Correct answer: Integrity vs. despair

Explanation: According to Erikson’s Eight Stages of Maturation, the “Integrity vs. Despair” stage is marked by a conflict between a sense of wholeness and basic satisfaction with life (adequate resolution) vs. feelings of futility and disappointment (inadequate resolution).

Question 15

Pre-group interviews with potential group members.

Ideal group size is 6 to 12 members. Why?

Answer 15

Explanation: Ideal group size is 6 to 12 members. More than 12 members tend to create subgroups within the larger group, with members targeting their comments to specific members and breaking down group cohesion.

Question 16

You are a therapist seeing clients in your private practice. What happens to your client records upon your death?

Answer 16

Correct answer: They are kept confidentially by the colleague or records custodian that you have assigned ahead of time

Explanation: Counselors in private practice should assign a colleague or records custodian, usually another therapist, to be in charge of their client’s records in the event that they are incapacitated. The records custodian should then follow state laws regarding how long records should be kept after termination of treatment.

Question 17

The primary purpose of vocational intervention related to Cognitive Information Processing is:

Answer 17

The primary purpose of vocational intervention related to Cognitive Information Processing is:

Correct answer: To provide situations that will develop the client’s processing abilities

Explanation: According to Peterson, Sampson, Reardon, and Lenz’s Cognitive Information Processing model, the purpose of career counseling is to improve the client’s problem-solving and decision-making skills in relation to career choices.

Question 18

According to Piaget’s stages of moral judgment, a child younger than age ten will think which of the following is worse?
check a. Someone who was trying to help his mother set the table and broke five dishes.
wrong b. Someone who was stealing a cookie from the cookie jar when he wasn’t allowed, and knocked over a cup that broke.
c. Someone who did not control the dog who jumped up on the table and pulled down a glass full of water, which broke.
d. Someone who accidentally dropped a dinner knife which could have hurt someone if they would have stepped on it.

Answer 18

a. Someone who was trying to help his mother set the table and broke five dishes.

Piaget saw moral judgment broken into two age brackets: below and above age ten. Those under age ten tended to judge wrong-doings by the amount of damage caused rather than the intention behind the act. Hence, even though the person in answer A had the best intentions, he broke more dishes and, therefore, is seen as more wrong. Since the person stealing only knocked over one cup, it is not viewed as bad as breaking five dishes.

Question 19

A client is 35. She is married, has two kids and is working on a big promotion at work. She is focused entirely on her family and career. Which of Erickson's Stages of Psychosocial Development is she in?	
	a. Intimacy vs. Isolation	
check
	b. Generativity vs. Stagnation	
	c. Integrity vs. Despair	
	d. Industry vs. Inferiority

Answer 19

b. Generativity vs. Stagnation

In the Generativity vs. Stagnation stage, people are focused on contributing to the next generation (the client produced 2 offspring) and to society (the client’s meaningful career). Industry vs. Inferiority occurs during the elementary school years and Integrity vs. Despair during late adulthood. It is not Intimacy vs. Isolation because she has gone beyond sharing her life with one other person.

Question 20

You have been involved in a counseling relationship with a client for six months, when he presents you with a small gift. What should you do?
Accept the gift and thank your client
Accept or decline depending upon the circumstances
Decline the gift with an explanation of why it’s inappropriate for you to accept it
Request that the gift be given to you only once therapy is complete

Answer 20

You have been involved in a counseling relationship with a client for six months, when he presents you with a small gift. What should you do?

Accept or decline depending upon the circumstances

The answer is “accept or decline depending upon the circumstances.” Giving a gift is sometimes, and in some cultures, a means of showing respect and gratitude in a way that monetarily compensating the counselor does not. In certain circumstances, accepting a gift may be an acceptable thing for a counselor to do. However, in deciding whether or not to accept a gift, a counselor must consider the client’s motivation, the counselor’s motivation (in wanting to accept or decline), the monetary value of the item, and of course the point at which the therapeutic relationship has reached. For instance, in some cases declining a gift may be detrimental to therapy. However, for the most part, it is generally best if the counselor does not encourage or accept gifts from those with whom they are in a therapeutic relationship.

Question 21

You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you are counseling. What do you do?
Obtain written permission from your client to share confidential information
Divulge any and all information about the client as court-ordered
Both “Limit, as much as possible…” and “Obtain written permission from your client…”.
Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal information

Answer 21

The answer is “both ‘Limit, as much as possible…’ and ‘Obtain written permission from your client…’.” When court-ordered to reveal confidential information about a client, you must of course ethically consider, first and foremost, the counseling relationship, and the rights of the client. You should, if at all possible, obtain written permission from the client to divulge personal information. Failing that, you must use your best professional judgment to limit the amount of information you share with the court. An emphasis must be placed upon sharing information in a way that would be as respectful as possible toward the confidentiality of your client, and cause the least possible damage to the counseling relationship.

Question 22

You are the supervisor for a new counselor, and are asked to attend her wedding. Would it be ethical to do so?
it would depend on your role in the festivities.
Yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a breach of ethics.
It would not be ethical to attend her wedding.
Yes, but only if you don’t bring a gift.

Answer 22

The answer is “yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a breach of ethics.” There is a significant power differential between supervisors and supervisees. As a supervisor, you must be diligently aware of any and all possible circumstances that might negatively affect your ability to competently conduct your role as a supervisor. Some activities can be beneficial to the professional relationship. Activities such as visits to the hospital or attendance at weddings and other significant events may enhance the relationship. However, other activities such as romantic involvements or business investments could prove detrimental and could be considered unethical.

Question 23

While involved with a research study, you learn that several of your students are using confidential material in an unethical manner. You had no prior knowledge of this, and all of your safeguards for professional practice were appropriate. Are you, as the principal researcher, responsible for the student’s behavior?
Yes, you are ultimately responsible.
Only the students who acted unethically are to be held responsible.
No, if professional safeguards were in place, you are not responsible.
You would only be responsible if you had knowledge of what was occurring and did nothing to stop it.

Answer 23

The answer is “yes, you are ultimately responsible.” The principal researcher is ultimately responsible for any and all ethical breaches in the research study. All others involved in the research study are individually responsible for their unethical behavior. It is important to note that, individually, everyone involved in a research study must admit personal responsibility, but overall, the principal researcher is responsible for the entirety of the study and anything connected to it.

Question 24

An ethics violation should NOT be reported when
confidentiality rights would be violated.
there is a personal relationship between the violator and the counselor who noted the violation.
a counselor has been retained to review another counselor who is in question.
both “a counselor has been retained…” and “confidentiality rights would be violated”.

Answer 24

The answer is “both ‘a counselor has been retained…’ and ‘confidentiality rights would be violated’.” All counselors have an ethical responsibility to not only hold themselves to a strict code of ethics, but also to expect it of other counselors. When an ethics violation has taken place, all efforts should be made to resolve the issue informally. Failing an informal resolution, the violation should be reported to the appropriate agency, licensing board, or other authority. However, if reporting the violation will also violate confidentiality rights, or if the counselor’s work in question is currently being evaluated for possible infringement, then the ethics violation need not be reported.