Chapter 2 vocabulary

Question 1

unstructured interview

Answer 1

type of clinical interview in which interviewers determine which questions to ask rather than following a standard interview format

Question 2

semi-structured interview

Answer 2

type of clinical interview in which interviewers are guided by a general outline but are free to modify the order in which questions are asked and to branch off in other directions

Question 3

structured interview

Answer 3

means by which an interviewer obtains clinical information from a client by asking a fairly standard series of questions concerning such issues as the client’s presenting complaints or problems, mental state, life circumstances, and psychosocial or developmental history

Question 4

mental status examination

Answer 4

structured clinical evaluation to determine various aspects of a client’s mental functioning

Question 5

objective tests

Answer 5

tests that allow a limited, specified range of response options or answers so that they can be scored objectively

Question 6

forced-choice formats

Answer 6

method of structuring test questions that requires respondents to select among a set number of possible answers

Question 7

validity scales

Answer 7

groups of test items that serve to detect whether the results of a particular test are valid or whether a person responded in a random manner or in a way intended to create a favourable or unfavourable impression

Question 8

neuropsychological assessment

Answer 8

methods of psychological assessment used to detect signs of underlying neurological damage or brain defects

Question 9

psychometric approach

Answer 9

method of psychological assessment that seeks to use psychological tests to identify and measure the reasonably stable traits in an individual’s personality that are believed to largely determine his or her behaviour

Question 10

behavioural assessment

Answer 10

approach to clinical assessment that focuses on the objective recording or description of problem behaviour rather than on inferences about personality traits

Question 11

behavioural interview

Answer 11

approach to clinical interviewing that focuses on relating problem behaviour to antecedent stimuli and reinforcement consequences

Question 12

baseline

Answer 12

period of time preceding the implementation of a treatment. used to gather data regarding the rate of occurrence of the target behaviour before treatment is introduced

Question 13

behavioural rating scale

Answer 13

method of behavioural assessment that involves the use of a scale to record the frequency of occurrence of target behaviours

Question 14

electrodermal response

Answer 14

changes in electrical conductivity of the skin following exposure to a stimulus

Question 15

galvanic skin response

Answer 15

measure of the change in electrical activity of the skin caused by increased activity of the sweat glands that accompanies a state of sympathetic nervous system arousal, such as when a person is anxious

Question 16

culture-bound disorders

Answer 16

patterns of behaviour that are found within only one or a few cultural contexts

Question 17

taijin-kyofu-sho

Answer 17

psychiatric syndrome found in Japan that involves excessive fear of offending or causing embarrassment to others

Question 18

psychotherapy

Answer 18

method of helping involving a systematic interaction between a therapist and a client that brings psychological principles to bear on influencing the client’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviours to help that client overcome abnormal behaviour or adjust to problems in living

Question 19

psychopharmacology

Answer 19

field of study that examines the effects of drugs on behaviour and psychological functioning and explores the use of psychoactive drugs in the treatment of emotional disorders

Question 20

displacement

Answer 20

in psychodynamic theory, a type of defence mechanism that involves the transferring of impulses toward threatening or unacceptable objects onto more acceptable or safe objects

Question 21

systematic desensitization

Answer 21

behaviour therapy technique for overcoming phobias by means of exposure to progressively more fearful stimuli while one remains deeply relaxed

Question 22

gradual exposure

Answer 22

in behaviour therapy, a method of overcoming fears through a stepwise process of direct exposure to increasingly fearful stimuli

Question 23

person-centred therapy

Answer 23

Carl Roger’s method of psychotherapy, emphasizing the establishment of a warm, accepting therapeutic relationship that frees clients to engage in a process of self-exploration and self-acceptance

Question 24

nonspecific treatment factors

Answer 24

characteristics that are not specific to any one form of psychotherapy but tend to be shared by psychotherapists, such as the attention a client receives from a therapist and the therapist’s encouragement of the client’s sense of hope and positive expectancies

Question 25

civil commitment

Answer 25

legal process involved in placing an individual in a psychiatric institution, even against his or her will

Question 26

legal commitment

Answer 26

legal process involved in confining a person found “not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder” in a psychiatric institution