assessment and diagnosis Flashcards
clinical interviews
concersational technique in which the clinican attempts to learn about the clients problems
personality tests
self-report questionnaires, used to assess a broad range of characteristics
projective tests
ambiguous stimuli are presented and responses are thoughts to be determined by unconscious processes
tests of cognition
self-report questionnaires thta typically focus on a single cognitive characteristic
intelligence tests
assessments of current mental fucntioning, used to predict school performance and diagnose intellectual disability
MMPI
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
Wechler scales
determine a person’s IQ by assesing:
- verbal comprehension
- perceptual organization
- processing speed
- working memory
CBT case formulation
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)
mental status exam
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
CT and MRI
identify structural abnormalities such as brain tumours, enlarged vesicles, brain damage
FMRI and PET
show functional abnormalities such as hyperactivity in dopamine systems during manic states in bipolar
psychophysiological assessment
examines bodily/nervous system changes associated with emotional or psychological states
neuropsychological assessment
examines how brain dysfunctions affect our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
ex. memory loss due to depression
classification
any effort to construct groups or categories. and to assign objects or people to these categories on the basis of shared attributes or reltions
classifying human behaviour is controversial
what is considered typical vs atypical
classical categorical
useful for medical diseases BUT not as useful for psychological problems because they arise from complex interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors
dimensional approach
- considers a variety of cognitions, needs, and behaviours which are quantified on a scale> severe (10), moderately (5), mildly (2)
prototypical approach
identifies essential characteristics, BUT allows for non-essential variations
DSM and 3rd, 4th, and 5th ed. characteristics
- 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
criticisms of DSM
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
