HBSE: Midterm
Why is it important to learn about human behavior in the social environment? - ANS-- it will help
you to place your knowledge into a meaningful and coherent context as you work with clients,
organizations, and communities
- it will challenge you to use your existing knowledge of human behavior and social
environments while incorporating it into new ideas and perspectives on the human condition
- it will give you more complex ways to think about assessment and intervention, which in turn
will help you to become a more creative and effective social worker
Theory - ANS-A set of ideas or concepts that, when considered together, help to explain certain
phenomena and allow people to predict behavior and other events
Why is theory important? - ANS-A variety of theories can help social workers organize
information and provide contexts for approaching client problems
- knowledge-base to guide practice
- assessment
- intervention
Empirical vs. Practical Knowledge - ANS-*Practice-based knowledge (Practice wisdom)*
- knowledge based on practical experience in the field
Strengths:
• might work with thousands of people, giving them rich insights into various issues and
problems
• can lead to hunches, questions, and curiosity about various problems, which can lead to
scientific exploration
• "unknowing"
Limitations:
• new challenges, new knowledge, new populations, new contexts, etc.
• can challenge practice-based knowledge since there isn't 'real' data
*Empirical knowledge*
- knowledge based on data, observation
Strengths:
• responsibility to document that their interventions are effective
• can be generalized across populations
• "knowing"
(e.g. evidence-based practice, EBP)
Limitations:
• empirical knowledge or EBP may be untested in certain populations and contexts
,"[We] would argue that good social work practice should maintain a balance between knowing
and unknowing to challenge rigid assumptions about what we think we know based on science
and embrace new possibilities for our work and outcomes with people."
Empirically Based Knowledge - ANS-Information that is considered the most updated, valid, and
reliable in regard to specific issues
- knowledge based in observable fact
- used to help guide practice and selection of interventions
Practice Based Knowledge - ANS-Knowledge acquired through practice experience
- comes from building experience, trial and error, authority figures, etc.
Evidence Based Practice (EBP) - ANS-Practice utilizing the interventions and knowledge
deemed most valid and effective through scientific studies
- process by which practitioners make practice decisions in light of the best evidence available
- involves integrating scientific evidence, practice expertise, and knowledge of the client and
circumstances to address client needs.
- bridges research and practice to improve client outcomes
Steps in Evidence Based Practice - ANS-↘︎ question formulation
↘︎ searching for the best evidence
↘︎critically appraising the evidence
↘︎selecting an intervention/practice/policy
→ monitoring client and evaluate progress
What are some problems with the quality of knowledge and theory? - ANS-*Problems with
observations*: Human beings have notoriously faulty memories, and our own experiences of
events can be very unreliable
- we tend to look for evidence to support our assumptions about certain phenomena, ignoring
evidence that contradicts what we think we know
*Overgeneralizations*: We tend to assume that what we experience can be generalized to other
people and circumstances
*Biases and value judgments*: We often impose our own values, inclinations, expectations, and
experiences onto an event to help make sense of it
*Lack of inquiry*: We stop asking questions about an event because we think we understand it
or have pursued it sufficiently
NASW Code of Ethics: 6 Core Values - ANS-1. *Service*: Help people in need and address
social conditions and concerns
2. *Social Justice*: Challenge social injustice
, 3. *Dignity and Worth of the Person*: Respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person
4. *Importance of Human Relationships*: Recognize the central importance of human
relationships
5. *Integrity*: Behave in a trustworthy manner
6. *Competence*: Practice within areas of competence, and develop and enhance professional
expertise
"Core values and the principles that flow from them, must be balanced within the context and
complexity of the human experience."
Person-In Environment (PIE) - ANS-This approach views client problems within the
environmental *context* in which they occur, and it is the cornerstone of social work practice
- the individual is impacted by the environment; the environment is likewise impacted by the
individual
- individuals are active agents whose lives, relationships, and environments are interdependent
- this approach is used to describe and understands human behavior and dilemmas in relation
the person's interaction with the environment
It is a practice-guiding principle that highlights the importance of understanding an individual's
behavior in light of the various environmental contexts in which that person lives
Micro-Mezzo-Macro Approach - ANS-Used to better understand people as active agents whose
lives, relationships, and environments impact one another
- although it does not provide testable constructs that help to predict behavior, it does offer a
visual framework that is useful when organizing a great deal of information about a client and
thinking about how various aspects of a person's life and environment can interact with one
another
Focus: Individual & environment
Assumptions: People are active in their environment
Three dimensions that are focused on:
1. Micro
2. Mezzo
3. Macro
Micro - ANS-Aspects of the individual
- biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual
- also includes factors such as age, gender, income, and ethnic background
- you would explore facets of the individual
Mezzo - ANS-Aspects of the individual's immediate environment
- social interactions and small communities
Why is it important to learn about human behavior in the social environment? - ANS-- it will help
you to place your knowledge into a meaningful and coherent context as you work with clients,
organizations, and communities
- it will challenge you to use your existing knowledge of human behavior and social
environments while incorporating it into new ideas and perspectives on the human condition
- it will give you more complex ways to think about assessment and intervention, which in turn
will help you to become a more creative and effective social worker
Theory - ANS-A set of ideas or concepts that, when considered together, help to explain certain
phenomena and allow people to predict behavior and other events
Why is theory important? - ANS-A variety of theories can help social workers organize
information and provide contexts for approaching client problems
- knowledge-base to guide practice
- assessment
- intervention
Empirical vs. Practical Knowledge - ANS-*Practice-based knowledge (Practice wisdom)*
- knowledge based on practical experience in the field
Strengths:
• might work with thousands of people, giving them rich insights into various issues and
problems
• can lead to hunches, questions, and curiosity about various problems, which can lead to
scientific exploration
• "unknowing"
Limitations:
• new challenges, new knowledge, new populations, new contexts, etc.
• can challenge practice-based knowledge since there isn't 'real' data
*Empirical knowledge*
- knowledge based on data, observation
Strengths:
• responsibility to document that their interventions are effective
• can be generalized across populations
• "knowing"
(e.g. evidence-based practice, EBP)
Limitations:
• empirical knowledge or EBP may be untested in certain populations and contexts
,"[We] would argue that good social work practice should maintain a balance between knowing
and unknowing to challenge rigid assumptions about what we think we know based on science
and embrace new possibilities for our work and outcomes with people."
Empirically Based Knowledge - ANS-Information that is considered the most updated, valid, and
reliable in regard to specific issues
- knowledge based in observable fact
- used to help guide practice and selection of interventions
Practice Based Knowledge - ANS-Knowledge acquired through practice experience
- comes from building experience, trial and error, authority figures, etc.
Evidence Based Practice (EBP) - ANS-Practice utilizing the interventions and knowledge
deemed most valid and effective through scientific studies
- process by which practitioners make practice decisions in light of the best evidence available
- involves integrating scientific evidence, practice expertise, and knowledge of the client and
circumstances to address client needs.
- bridges research and practice to improve client outcomes
Steps in Evidence Based Practice - ANS-↘︎ question formulation
↘︎ searching for the best evidence
↘︎critically appraising the evidence
↘︎selecting an intervention/practice/policy
→ monitoring client and evaluate progress
What are some problems with the quality of knowledge and theory? - ANS-*Problems with
observations*: Human beings have notoriously faulty memories, and our own experiences of
events can be very unreliable
- we tend to look for evidence to support our assumptions about certain phenomena, ignoring
evidence that contradicts what we think we know
*Overgeneralizations*: We tend to assume that what we experience can be generalized to other
people and circumstances
*Biases and value judgments*: We often impose our own values, inclinations, expectations, and
experiences onto an event to help make sense of it
*Lack of inquiry*: We stop asking questions about an event because we think we understand it
or have pursued it sufficiently
NASW Code of Ethics: 6 Core Values - ANS-1. *Service*: Help people in need and address
social conditions and concerns
2. *Social Justice*: Challenge social injustice
, 3. *Dignity and Worth of the Person*: Respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person
4. *Importance of Human Relationships*: Recognize the central importance of human
relationships
5. *Integrity*: Behave in a trustworthy manner
6. *Competence*: Practice within areas of competence, and develop and enhance professional
expertise
"Core values and the principles that flow from them, must be balanced within the context and
complexity of the human experience."
Person-In Environment (PIE) - ANS-This approach views client problems within the
environmental *context* in which they occur, and it is the cornerstone of social work practice
- the individual is impacted by the environment; the environment is likewise impacted by the
individual
- individuals are active agents whose lives, relationships, and environments are interdependent
- this approach is used to describe and understands human behavior and dilemmas in relation
the person's interaction with the environment
It is a practice-guiding principle that highlights the importance of understanding an individual's
behavior in light of the various environmental contexts in which that person lives
Micro-Mezzo-Macro Approach - ANS-Used to better understand people as active agents whose
lives, relationships, and environments impact one another
- although it does not provide testable constructs that help to predict behavior, it does offer a
visual framework that is useful when organizing a great deal of information about a client and
thinking about how various aspects of a person's life and environment can interact with one
another
Focus: Individual & environment
Assumptions: People are active in their environment
Three dimensions that are focused on:
1. Micro
2. Mezzo
3. Macro
Micro - ANS-Aspects of the individual
- biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual
- also includes factors such as age, gender, income, and ethnic background
- you would explore facets of the individual
Mezzo - ANS-Aspects of the individual's immediate environment
- social interactions and small communities
