Ch. 3: Diagnosis & Assessment Flashcards
Diagnosis
allows clinician to describe base rates, causes, and treatments; can provide relief
Reliability
consistency of measurement
Interrater Reliability
degree to which two independent observers agree on what they have observed
Test-Retest Reliability
measures the extent to which people being observed twice or taking same test twice receive similar scores
Alternate Form Reliability
extent to which scores on two forms of a test are consistent
Internal Consistency Reliability
assess whether items on a test are related to one another
Validity
whether a measurement measures what it’s supposed to measure
Content Validity
whether a measure adequately samples the domain of interest
Criterion Validity
whether a measure is associated in an expected way with some other measure
Concurrent Validity
both variables are measured in the same point in time
Predictive Validity
ability of a measure to predict another variable measured in the future
Construct Validity
actually does measure an complex, inferred attribute; evaluated looking at a variety of data
Multiaxial Classification System
forces diagnostician to consider a broad range of information by requiring judgments on five axes
Dimensional Classification
describes the degree of an entity that is present; define a threshold for treatment
Comorbidity
the presence of a second diagnosis
Clinical Interview
interviewer pays attention to how the respondent answers or doesn’t answer questions
Structured Interview
questions are set out in a prescribed fashion for the interviewer
Stress
the subjective experience of distress in response to perceived environmental problems
Psychological Tests
structure the process of assessment; common types are personality and intelligence
Personality Inventory
self-report questionnaire about habitual tendencies
Standardization
administering a test to many people to analyze how certain types of people tend to respond
Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory (MMPI)
designed to detect variety of psychological issues; used to screen large groups of people
Projective Test
psychological assessment tool in which a set of standard stimuli (ambiguous enough to allow variation in responses) is presented for interpretation
Projective Hypothesis
interpretation of an ambiguous stimuli will reveal true attitudes, motivations, and modes of behavior of the perceiver
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
a projective test; person shown a series of black and white photos one by one and asked to tell a story about each
Rorschach Inkblot Test
person is shown 10 inkblots one at a time, and asked to tell what the blots look like
Intelligence Test (IQ)
assesses a person’s current mental ability; used to predict school performance and diagnose learning disorders or follow deterioration in mental abilities
Behavioral Assessment
observers record data about behavior in a reliable way to measure effects of a treatment
Self Monitoring
people observe and track their own behavior and responses; used to collect a variety of data
Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)
method of self-observation in which people collect data in real time rather than through later reflection, usually through diaries or special devices
Reactivity
phenomenon wherein behavior changes because it’s being observed
CAT Scan (Computerized Axial Tomography)
assesses structural brain abnormalities using x ray
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
produces high quality pictures through a circular magnet which displaces hydrogen atoms
fMRI
researchers can measure both brain structure and brain function; takes MRI pictures so quickly that metabolic changes can be measured, providing a picture of the brain at work
BOLD (Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent) Signal
a measure of blood flow in the brain; allows us to see where neurons are firing as blood flow increases in that area
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan
expensive and invasive procedure allowing measurement of both brain structure and brain function (though not as precise as MRI); label a substance in the brain with a radioactive isotope
Metabolite
an acid produced when a neurotransmitter is deactivated; analyzed to assess neurotransmitters
Neurologist
a physician who specializes in diseases or problems that affect the nervous system
Neuropsychologist
a psychologist who studies how dysfunctions of the brain affect the way we think, feel, and behave
Neuropsychological Tests
often used in conjunction with the brain imaging techniques just described both to detect brain dysfunction an pinpoint areas of behavior affected by the brain
Psychophysiology
a discipline concerned with the bodily changes associated with psychological events
Electrocardiogram (EKG)
waves on a computer screen or roll of graph paper which depict the signals conveyed by electrodes on the chest of the heartbeat’s electrical changes
Electrodermal Responding
measure of autonomic nervous system activity in which increased electrical conductance of the skin caused by increases sweat gland activity, often taken as a measure of emotional arousal
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
electrodes placed on the scalp record electrical activity in the underlying brain area
