Assessment & Research Methods

Question 1

Test-retest reliability

Answer 1

Degree to which a test of a stable trait generates same results when it’s given more than once to the same person

Question 2

Alternate-form reliability

Answer 2

Two versions of test are designed
Scores from each are correlated to each other

Question 3

Internal consistency
Split-half reliability
Coefficient alpha

Answer 3

Degree of reliability within a test

Measure of internal consistency (compared responses on odd numbers to even numbers)

Average of intercorrelations of all items in a test

Question 4

Face validity

Answer 4

Items in test resemble characteristics associated with concept being tested

Question 5

Content validity

Answer 5

Test includes a representative sample of all behavs thought to be related to the construct it’s designed to measure

(Reflects overall construct)

Question 6

Criterion validity

Answer 6

Arises bcuz some qualities are easier to recognize than to define completely

(Trait is assessed properly)

Question 7

Construct validity

Answer 7

Refers to validity of a test within a specific theoretical framework

(More useful for abstract traits, like self-esteem)

Question 8

Brain imaging techniques

Answer 8

Computed tomography (CT)
Narrow band of xrays projected thru head onto crystals; Creates 2D image or cross-section of brain

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Magnetic field produced around head, causing electrons to move… When it stops, the electrons go back to OG place and emit radio waves; Shows metabolic changes in brain

Positron emission tomography (PET)
Radiation is generated by injected or inhaled radioisotopes; Shows distribution of neurotransmitters

Question 9

Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test

Answer 9

Oldest neuropsychological screening test
Copy designs onto another card then draw from memory

Can produce false negatives (ppl with impairment can complete the test with a few errors only)

Question 10

Clinical interviews

Answer 10

Unstructured: Open-ended; allows interviewer to pursue specific line of questioning or follow patient’s lead
- Creates trust between clinician and patient

Structured: Has specific wording of questions
- Increases reliability but can reduce trust

Semi-structured: Optional guided questions, depending on what of the patient’s functions needs to be covered
- Typically uses mental status examination
- Designed to look for specific problems

Rating scales: Helps organize info and encourage reliability and objectivity

Question 11

Sir Francis Galton

Answer 11

First scientific study of intellectual functioning
Tested if intelligence has hereditary aspect
Could be measured by physiological cues (sensory intelligence)

Question 12

Alfred Binet

Answer 12

First widely accepted and successful test of intelligence
Predicted academic performance (IQ)

Question 13

David Wechsler

Answer 13

Developed most popular IQ test (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale)
For adults

Question 14

What is the correlation between IQ scores and academic performance?

Answer 14

0.5-0.7

Question 15

Other than IQ, what else impacts academic performance?

Answer 15

Self-discipline
Education (school attendance)

Question 16

Projective tests

Answer 16

Personality assessment
Person presented w/ ambiguous stimulus will project their unconscious motives onto it

Rorschach Inkblot Test
- Exner system developed yo increase reliability and validity by standardizing scoring of responses

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
- Ppl construct stories of the images on the cards

Question 17

Personality inventories:
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)
Personality Assessment Inventory (API)

Answer 17

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
- Assesses multiple aspects of personality
- Used contrasted-groups method to get validity (items only chosen if ppl known to have characteristic the scale is intended to measure responded differently to ppl who don’t)

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)
- Helps clinicians make diagnostic judgments about personality disorders

Personality Assessment Inventory (API)
- Provides info relevant for clinical diagnosis, treatment planning, and screening for psychopathology (and severity)
- Uses 4-poing Likert scale
- Ppl tend to say yes (response sets) bcuz of test taking attitude
- Ppl tend to answer in a way the tester would desire (demand characteristics)
- Ppl answer in a way to look good (social desirability)

Question 18

What is person by situation interaction?

Answer 18

By Walter Mischel
Predicting person’s behav requires knowledge of both the person’s typical behav patterns and the characteristics of the setting

Question 19

Behavioural and cognitive assessments:
Observational
In vivo
Analogue observational setting

Answer 19

Observational techniques
- Uses rating scales to assess various behavs
- Looks at antecedents (what happens before behav) and consequences (what happens after behav)

In vivo observation: Behav in everyday enviro
- Can be impractical bcuz of time constraints and unpredictability of modern family life

Analogue observational setting: Artificial setting structured to elicit specific classes of behavs in ppl

Limitations:
- Reactivity - Ppl may change how they behav in front of observer
- Observer drift - Observer may deteriorate in accuracy as they get tired or mistakenly shift criteria over time

Question 20

Cognitive-based assessments

Answer 20

Uses questionnaires to assess thoughts

Self-monitoring: Patients note their own behavs in real time

Question 21

How do you deal with the noise in experimental methods?

Answer 21

Pretest: Participants assessed on many measures prior to treatment
Posttest: Participants assessed on dependent variables (rating scales)

Placebo effect: Ppl try to report better than experienced
- Placebo or double-blind procedure can help

Question 22

Internal vs external validity

Answer 22

Internal validity: Degree to which changes in dependent variables are a result of manipulation of independent variable

External validity: Generalizability of findings in other settings or individuals

Question 23

Quasi-experimental study

Confound
Cause-effect interferences

Answer 23

Participants in experimental group not randomly assigned

Confound: Occurs when 2+ variables influence at same time, making it hard to find causal role of any variable

Limitation:
- Cause-effect inferences: Can’t match participants on all factors except for subject of research

Question 24

Correlational method
What kind of study is best for this?

Answer 24

Measures degree of relationship between 2 variables

Longitudinal studies
- Helps reduce ambiguity
- Longterm examination of early factors before onset of disorder
- Uses high-risk method (usually only takes sample of ppl more likely to exp desired outcome)

Question 25

Case study

Answer 25

Description of past and current functioning of a single individual

• Approach is idiographic (provides many details typically lost in large studies)
  
  • But doesn’t use scientific method and can’t be generalized

Question 26

Single-subject design

Answer 26

Intense investigation of an individual participant
- Uses observable behavs that are quantifiable

ABAB (reversal design) quantifies behav in naturally occuring enviro
- Person starts at baseline (A) then subjected to intervention (B) and repeats

Limitation:
- Behav doesn’t completely revert to baseline when intervention was removed

Question 27

Epidemiological research

Answer 27

Study of incidence and prevalence of disorders in population

Incidence: # of new cases of a disorder in a pop over a specific time
Prevalence: Frequency if a disorder in a pop at a given point in time

Limitations:
- Requires large numbers of participants

Question 28

Studies of inheritence
Family studies

Answer 28

Examines incidence of a disorder among family members (including distant and close relatives)

Proband: Patient who has come to attention of clinician
- Concordance can occur with comparison person

Question 29

Studies of inheritence
Adoption studies

Answer 29

Looks at separate effects of genetics and enviro on development of psych disorders

Cross-fostering:
- One group comprises adopted children whose bio parents have a disorder + adoptive parents don’t
- Another group comprises adopted children whose adoptive parents have disorder + bio parents don’t

Limitations:
- Difficulty getting large samples
- No control for prenatal expisure

Question 30

Studies of inheritence
Twin studies

Answer 30

Environmental factors are constant
Only genotypic diffs account for differential concordance rates

Question 31

Passive gene-environment correlation
Evocative (reactive) gene-environment correlation
Active gene-environment correlation

Answer 31

Bio parents determine genotype and quality of early exps

Individual’s heritable behavs evoke environmental response

Individuals w/ particular heritable tendencies of their genotype will be more likely to select certain enviros

Question 32

Statistical significance vs Clinical significance

Answer 32

Statistical: Standard at which research us judged as valuable
Clinical: Treatment’s practical utility

Question 33

Normative comparison

Answer 33

Compares treatment results w/ non-disturbed sample
- For controlling potential irrelevance of statistical significance