Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
Define content validity
The measure accurately samples the domain of interest, ie all important aspects are measured
Define construct validity
The ability of a measurement tool to actually measure the psychological concept being studied
Define criterion validity
Whether a measure is associated in an expected way with another measure.
Two types: concurrent and predictive
Define concurrent validity as a subtype of criterion validity
Both variables must be measured at the same point in time. It will give the same results as other tests.
Eg. A test measuring negative thoughts on depression score higher than those without depression
Define predictive validity as a subtype of criterion validity
The ability of a measure to predict a variable that is measure at some point in the future.
Eg. IQ tests were originally developed to predict future school performance
What is reliability?
The consistency of a measure, will you get the same results again? Think of a ruler.
Define interrater reliability
The degree in which two independent observers agree on what they have observed. Think tennis umpires.
Define test-retest reliability
People being tested twice will receive similar scores.
Expected in intelligence test, not mood tests.
Define alternate form reliability
When psychologists give two tests instead of repeating the first one. Rules out practise effects.
Define internal consistency reliability
Tests whether the items in a test are related and will get similar results.
Why do we need a diagnostic system?
No such thing as general mental illness, every one is different. Should be treated according to own nature. Emil Kraepelin (1883) first classified this.
What were Emil Kraepelin’s two classifications?
1) dementia praecox (schizophrenia): caused by chemical imbalances
2) manic-depressive psychosis: caused by irregular metabolism.
Still the basis of modern categorisation.
Why was DSM developed?
APA believed the ICD did not accept mental disorders. DSM first developed in 1952
Name THREE differences between DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5
- The multiaxial system has been removed
- Still a categorical system but much stronger dimensional element
- Some disorders moved around according to aetiology eg OCD has move from anxiety disorders
THREE good points about DSM-5
- a reliable system
- widely accepted so we can expect diagnosis to be similar globally
- describes observations of behaviours we don’t understand
THREE negative points about DSM-5
- case not explored further when diagnosis is achieved
- based on the medical model: the behaviour is the symptom and the health problems are the disorder
- difficult to say how reliable it is for multiple disorders in one person
THREE problems the DSM-5 addressed
- 20-50% of not otherwise specified mental illnesses are now accounted for
- cultural variations: disorders are the same but symptoms presented differently
- includes culture bound symptoms in the appendix
What are the 6 stages for defining a disorder?
1) epidemiology: how frequent
2) etiology: the cause
3) signs and symptoms
4) course: stability over time
5) treatment/response to treatment
6) outcome
What is test validity?
The idea that tests measure what they are meant to measure
Define delusions
A belief held contrary to reality
Define hallucinations
A sensory experience with the absence of any environmental stimuli
Name three intelligence tests and what they measure
1) Weschler scale: WAIS for adults and WISC for children. Measures abilities which correlate with general intelligence
2) Stanford-Binet tests which are used to diagnose developmental and intellectual disabilities in young children
3) Raven’s progressive matrices: used to measure non-verbal IQ
Name and describe three projective personality tests
1) Maudsley Medical Questionnaire: measures neuroticism
2) Eysenck’s personality inventory: assesses the gigantic three (neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism)
3) Rorschach test: measures personality traits by participants reporting what they see in blobs
What is the lexical hypothesis?
The most salient and socially relevant personality differences in someone’s life will become encoded into their language
