Certified Prevention Specialist CPS Practice Exam

What term is used for a needs assessment that produces a descriptive report through information collected from interviews, focus groups, and/or observations?

1. Indicator data

2. Qualitative data

3. Outcome data

4. Quantitative data

The correct answer is: Qualitative data

The correct term for a needs assessment that uses interviews, focus groups, and observations to gather information is qualitative data. This type of data is characterized by its focus on understanding the underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations of participants. Through qualitative methods, researchers can capture the complexity of human behavior and the context surrounding specific issues. Interviews and focus groups allow for in-depth discussions and insights into the experiences and perspectives of individuals, making this approach particularly valuable in prevention work. It provides rich, narrative information that can help to identify needs, preferences, and potential barriers within a community or population. Quantitative data, by contrast, involves numerical measures and statistics, which are derived from surveys or assessments that can be quantified and analyzed mathematically. While indicator and outcome data might also play important roles in program evaluation and planning, they do not capture the nuances of personal experiences in the same way that qualitative data does.