Abnormal Psychology

Question 1

Define content validity

Answer 1

The measure accurately samples the domain of interest, ie all important aspects are measured

Question 2

Define construct validity

Answer 2

The ability of a measurement tool to actually measure the psychological concept being studied

Question 3

Define criterion validity

Answer 3

Whether a measure is associated in an expected way with another measure.
Two types: concurrent and predictive

Question 4

Define concurrent validity as a subtype of criterion validity

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Define predictive validity as a subtype of criterion validity

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What is reliability?

Answer 6

The consistency of a measure, will you get the same results again? Think of a ruler.

Question 7

Define interrater reliability

Answer 7

The degree in which two independent observers agree on what they have observed. Think tennis umpires.

Question 8

Define test-retest reliability

Answer 8

People being tested twice will receive similar scores.

Expected in intelligence test, not mood tests.

Question 9

Define alternate form reliability

Answer 9

When psychologists give two tests instead of repeating the first one. Rules out practise effects.

Question 10

Define internal consistency reliability

Answer 10

Tests whether the items in a test are related and will get similar results.

Question 11

Why do we need a diagnostic system?

Answer 11

No such thing as general mental illness, every one is different. Should be treated according to own nature. Emil Kraepelin (1883) first classified this.

Question 12

What were Emil Kraepelin’s two classifications?

Answer 12

1) dementia praecox (schizophrenia): caused by chemical imbalances
2) manic-depressive psychosis: caused by irregular metabolism.
Still the basis of modern categorisation.

Question 13

Why was DSM developed?

Answer 13

APA believed the ICD did not accept mental disorders. DSM first developed in 1952

Question 14

Name THREE differences between DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

THREE good points about DSM-5

Answer 15

• a reliable system
• widely accepted so we can expect diagnosis to be similar globally
• describes observations of behaviours we don’t understand

Question 16

THREE negative points about DSM-5

Answer 16

• 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

Question 17

THREE problems the DSM-5 addressed

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

What are the 6 stages for defining a disorder?

Answer 18

1) epidemiology: how frequent
2) etiology: the cause
3) signs and symptoms
4) course: stability over time
5) treatment/response to treatment
6) outcome

Question 19

What is test validity?

Answer 19

The idea that tests measure what they are meant to measure

Question 20

Define delusions

Answer 20

A belief held contrary to reality

Question 21

Define hallucinations

Answer 21

A sensory experience with the absence of any environmental stimuli

Question 22

Name three intelligence tests and what they measure

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Name and describe three projective personality tests

Answer 23

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

Question 24

What is the lexical hypothesis?

Answer 24

The most salient and socially relevant personality differences in someone’s life will become encoded into their language

Question 25

Name three tests which measure trait happiness

Answer 25

1) Satisfaction with life questionnaire (Deiner)
2) 3 happy lives: the pleasant life, the life of engagement and the meaningful life
3) Brief strengths tests: people’s scores compared with others to see how they compare