assessment and diagnosis

Question 1

clinical interviews

Answer 1

concersational technique in which the clinican attempts to learn about the clients problems

Question 2

personality tests

Answer 2

self-report questionnaires, used to assess a broad range of characteristics

Question 3

projective tests

Answer 3

ambiguous stimuli are presented and responses are thoughts to be determined by unconscious processes

Question 4

tests of cognition

Answer 4

self-report questionnaires thta typically focus on a single cognitive characteristic

Question 5

intelligence tests

Answer 5

assessments of current mental fucntioning, used to predict school performance and diagnose intellectual disability

Question 6

MMPI

Answer 6

10 scales and 567 T/F questions

takes 1-2 hrs to complete

developed in 1943

validtiy scales:
- L scale> lie scale> ex. i have never had a good night’s sleep answered true
- F scale> infrequency scale> ex. everything tastes alike answered true… may be trying to appear abnormal to esnure special treatment/attention
- K scale> defensivness scale> ex. I feel the best ever answered true

Question 7

Wechler scales

Answer 7

determine a person’s IQ by assesing:
- verbal comprehension
- perceptual organization
- processing speed
- working memory

Question 8

CBT case formulation

Answer 8

created through direct observation of behaviour, interviews, self-report, etc.

1) problems list (psychological, interpersonal, medical)
2) diagnosis (not necessary)
3) working hypothesis (story describing how problems are linked)
4) strengths and assets of client
5) treatment plan (goals and obstacles)

Question 9

mental status exam

Answer 9

systematic observation of somebody’s behaviour

often used to organize information collected during an interview

1) appearance and behaviour

2) thought processes

3) mood and affect

4) intellectual functioning

5) sensorium

Question 10

CT and MRI

Answer 10

identify structural abnormalities such as brain tumours, enlarged vesicles, brain damage

Question 11

FMRI and PET

Answer 11

show functional abnormalities such as hyperactivity in dopamine systems during manic states in bipolar

Question 12

psychophysiological assessment

Answer 12

examines bodily/nervous system changes associated with emotional or psychological states

Question 13

neuropsychological assessment

Answer 13

examines how brain dysfunctions affect our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours

ex. memory loss due to depression

Question 14

classification

Answer 14

any effort to construct groups or categories. and to assign objects or people to these categories on the basis of shared attributes or reltions

Question 15

classifying human behaviour is controversial

Answer 15

what is considered typical vs atypical

Question 16

classical categorical

Answer 16

useful for medical diseases BUT not as useful for psychological problems because they arise from complex interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors

Question 17

dimensional approach

Answer 17

• considers a variety of cognitions, needs, and behaviours which are quantified on a scale> severe (10), moderately (5), mildly (2)

Question 18

prototypical approach

Answer 18

identifies essential characteristics, BUT allows for non-essential variations

Question 19

DSM and 3rd, 4th, and 5th ed. characteristics

Answer 19

• developed in 1952

-3rd ed… atheoretical> relied on precise descriptions as defined by clinicians rather than psychoanalytic or biological theories… specific and detailed, allowing for assessments of reliability and validity

-4th ed… aimed to rely as little as possible on expert concensus, and as much as possible on scientific data… removed distinction between organically based and psychologically based disorders

• 5th ed… aimed to remove socially deviant behaviour unless it was dysfunctional
• considers the social and cultural influences on diagnosis (how have recent immigrants mastered the langauge of their new country… do they use terms from their country of origin when describing their disorder… do they value western medicine or prefer alt. approach… are physical illnesses okay in their culture but psycholoigcal ones not okay

Question 20

criticisms of DSM

Answer 20

1) psychological disorders are often comorbid, and a dimensional approach could prevent being labelled with multiple disorders at once

2) reliability prioritized over validity… having well defined categories helps with diagnostic consistency, BUT does not validate definitions of disorders