Assessment Flashcards
Assessment
The collecting of relevant information in an effort to reach a conclusion about a client or research participant. An integrated approach of gathering information of clients to determine the nature of a problem and any type of comorbidities.
-Determine severity
-Impact in life
-Cause of problem
-whether there is a need for treatment
-type of treatment
-establish a baseline
-give objective feedback
-engage in changing behaviour
Standardization
Process in which a test is administered to a large group of people whose performance then serves as a standard or norm against which any individual’s score can be measured.
-common steps are followed whenever administered
Reliability
the consistency of assessment measures, good tool always yield similar results in the same situation, yields similar results every time.
-high test-retest reliability
-different judges agree independently agree on how to interpret it
-must accurately measure what is supposed to measure
-high predictive validity or concurrent validity
Predictive validity
a tool’s ability to predict future characteristics or behaviour
concurrent validity
degree to which the measures gathered from one tool agree with the measures gathered from other assessment techniques
Client interview
the first contact between the client and clinician
-Clinician collects detailed information about the person’s problems, feelings, lifestyles, relationships, and personal history
Unstructured interview
A lack of structure that allows the interviewer to follow leads and explore relevant topics that could not have been anticipated before the interview. Open-ended questions
-typical of psychodynamic and humanistic clinicians
Structured interview
Clinician asks prepared and specific questions, sometimes a standardized set of questions
-include a mental status exam
mental status exam
a set of questions and observations that systematically evaluate the client’s awareness, orientation with regard to time and place, attention span, memory, judgement and insight, thought content, processes, mood, appearance
-cognitive-behavioural clinicians
Limitations of clinical interviews
-May lack validity or accuracy
-Clients may intentionally mislead
-May be unable to give an accurate report in their interviews
-May lack reliability
Clinical tests (7 types)
Devices for gathering information about aspects of a person’s psychological functioning from which broader information about a person can be inferred
-protective tests
-personality inventories
-response inventories
-psychophysiological tests
-neuroimaging
-neuropsychological tests
-intelligence tests
Projective tests
A test consisting of ambiguous material such as ambiguous pictures or open-ended instructions that people interpret or respond to.
-When clues are general, people will project aspects of their personality into the task
-Used primarily by psychodynamic clinicians
Rorschach Test
Use of inkblots, the images seen by a viewer correspondent in ways with their psychological condition
Thematic Apperception Test
Pictorial projective test of individuals in vague situations, are instructed to make up a story about each card. Describe what is happening, what lead up to the event, what the characters are feeling, what the outcome of the situation will be.
-People identify with one of the characters on each card, thought to reflect individuals’ own circumstances, needs, emotions.
sentence completion test
test taker completes a series of unfinished sentences, considered good way to move to discussion and find topics to explore
Personality inventories
Measure broad personality characteristics consisting of statements about behaviour, beliefs, and feelings that are evaluated as either characteristic or uncharacteristic. Clinicians use responses to draw conclusions about the person’s personality and psychological functioning
MMPI
more than 500 self statements labelled as true, false, or cannot say. Measures sexual behaviours, social activities, mood.
-10 clinical scales of 0-120
Response inventories
tests designed to measure a person’s responses in one specific area of functioning such as affect, social skills, or cognitive processes
affective inventories
measures the severity of emotions such as anxiety, depression, and anger.
-Beck Depression Inventory
social skills inventories
indicate how clients would react in a variety of social situations
cognitive inventories
reveal a person’s typical thoughts and assumptions and can help uncover counterproductive patterns of thinking
psychophysiological tests
a test that measures physical responses (heart rate, muscle tension) as possible indicators of psychological problems
Elements of a psychological assessment
- clinical interview
- behavioural observation
- third party report
- psychometric instructions
- biological/neurological testing
a mental health status exam examines..
-appearance and behaviour
-thought process
-mood and affect
-intellectual functioning
-sensorium
severity scales
dimension on the summation of scores
-depression inventory
Naturalistic clinical observations
observe client in a natural setting, can take place in homes, schools, institutions, or community settings.
-typically parent-child, sibling-sibling, teacher-child interactions
Analog observations
often by special equipment, can focus on child-parent interactions, married couples, speech-anxious people, phobic people approaching an object they find frightening
Diagnosis
Process of determining whether a person’s problems meets all the criteria for a psychological disorder according to the DSM V or ICD 10
How is a treatment plan formed?
-Therapists theoretical orientation
-Current research
-general states of clinical knowledge based on empirically supported, evidence based treatment
What determines effectiveness of the treatment
-Expectations of the client
-Therapist factors
-Client-therapist relationship
-Techniques used
-Events in life (most determinant)
How is improvement measured?
Primary and secondary outcomes
Primary outcomes
Personal symptoms
Secondary outcomes
How is the person functioning in society?
