Chapter 3

Question 1

the systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible psychological disorder.

Answer 1

Clinical assessment

Question 2

the process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting the individual meets all criteria for a psychological disorder,

Answer 2

Diagnosis

Question 3

three basic concepts that help determine the value of our assessments:

Answer 3

reliability, validity, and standardization

Question 4

The degree to which a measurement is consistent

Answer 4

Reliability

Question 5

two or more raters will get the same answers

Answer 5

interrater reliability

Question 6

determine whether these assessment techniques are stable across time

Answer 6

test–retest reliability

Question 7

whether something measures what it is designed
to measure

Answer 7

Validity

Question 8

Comparing the results of an assessment measure
under consideration with the results of others that are better known allows you to begin to determine the validity of the first measure

Answer 8

concurrent or descriptive validity

Question 9

how well your assessment tells you what will happen in the future

Answer 9

Predictive validity

Question 10

• Application of certain standards to ensure consistency across different measurements
• the process by which a certain set of standards or norms is determined for a technique to make its use consistent across different measurements

Answer 10

Standardization

Question 11

• the core of most clinical work
• gathers information on current and past behavior, attitudes, and emotions, as well as a detailed history of the individual’s life in general and of the presenting problem

Answer 11

The Clinical Interview

Question 12

• involves the systematic observation of an individual’s behavior
• type of observation occurs when any one person interacts with another
• trick for clinicians is to organize their observations of other people in a way that gives them sufficient information to determine whether a psychological disorder might be present

Answer 12

mental status exam

Question 13

the exam covers five categories

Answer 13

1. Appearance and behavior
2. Thought processes
3. Mood and affect
4. Intellectual functioning
5. Sensorium

Question 14

The clinician notes any overt physical behaviors, such as Frank’s leg twitch, as well as the individual’s dress, general appearance, posture, and facial expression.

Answer 14

Appearance and behavior

Question 15

Appearance and behavior ex. slow and effortful motor behavior, sometimes referred to as _____ may
indicate severe depression.

Answer 15

psychomotor retardation

Question 16

Appearance and behavior ex. slow and effortful motor behavior, sometimes referred to as _____ may
indicate severe depression.

Answer 16

psychomotor retardation

Question 17

When clinicians listen to a patient talk, they’re getting a good idea of that person’s thought processes.

Answer 17

Thought processes

Question 18

patients with schizophrenia, a disorganized speech pattern, referred to as

Answer 18

loose association or derailment

Question 19

someone thinks people are after him and out to get him all the time

Answer 19

delusions of persecution

Question 20

an individual thinks she is all-powerful in some way

Answer 20

delusions of grandeur

Question 21

everything everyone else does somehow relates back to the individual

Answer 21

ideas of reference

Question 22

things a person sees or hears when those things really aren’t there

Answer 22

Hallucinations

Question 23

negative attitudes toward gay sexual orientation

Answer 23

homophobia

Question 24

the predominant feeling state of the individual

Answer 24

Mood

Question 25

refers to the feeling state that accompanies what we say at a given point

Answer 25

Affect

Question 26

* Clinicians make a rough estimate of others’ intellectual functioning just by talking to them * Clinicians usually make a rough estimate of intelligence that is noticeable only if it deviates from normal, such as concluding the person is above or below average intelligence

Answer 26

Intellectual functioning

Question 27

refers to our general awareness of our surroundings

Answer 27

Sensorium

Question 28

intrusive, unwanted thoughts and the attempt to resist them

Answer 28

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Question 29

made up of questions that have been carefully phrased and tested to elicit useful information in a consistent manner so that clinicians can be sure they have inquired about the most important aspects of particular disorders

Answer 29

Semistructured interviews

Question 30

* takes this process one step further by using direct observation to formally assess an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior in specific situations or contexts * target behaviors are identified and observed with the goal of determining the factors that seem to influence them.

Answer 30

Behavioral assessment

Question 31

going into a person’s home, workplace, or school isn’t always possible or practical, so clinicians sometimes arrange

Answer 31

analogue, or similar, settings

Question 32

behavior in autism are discovered by placing the children in simulated situations, such as sitting alone at home, playing with a sibling, or being asked to complete a difficult task

Answer 32

self-hitting (called self-injurious)

Question 33

a disorder characterized by social withdrawal and communication problems

Answer 33

autism spectrum disorder

Question 34

A problem with this type of observation is that it relies on the observer’s recollection, as well as interpretation, of the events.

Answer 34

informal observation

Question 35

involves identifying specific behaviors that are observable and measurable (called an operational definition)

Answer 35

Formal observation

Question 36

* People can also observe their own behavior to find patterns * The goal here is to help clients monitor their behavior more conveniently

Answer 36

self-monitoring or self-observation

Question 37

* A more formal and structured way to observe behavior * are used as assessment tools before treatment and then periodically during treatment to assess changes in the person’s behavior

Answer 37

checklists and behavior rating scales

Question 38

assesses 18 general areas of concern, each symptom is rated on a 7-point scale from 0 (not present) to 6 (extremely severe).

Answer 38

Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale

Question 39

distort any observational data. Any time you observe how people behave, the mere fact of your presence may cause them to change their behavior

Answer 39

reactivity

Question 40

a variety of methods in which ambiguous stimuli, such as pictures of people or things, are presented to people who are asked to describe what they see

Answer 40

projective tests

Question 41

Three of the more widely used projective tests

Answer 41

Rorschach inkblot test, the Thematic Apperception Test, and the sentence-completion method

Question 42

one of the early projective tests. In its current form, the test includes 10 inkblot pictures that serve as thenambiguous stimuli

Answer 42

Rorschach inkblot test

Question 43

To respond to the concerns about reliability and validity, John Exner developed a standardized version of the Rorschach inkblot test

Answer 43

Comprehensive System

Question 44

Another system ______ uses a set of international normative reference values

Answer 44

Rorschach Performance Assessment System

Question 45

the best- known projective test after the Rorschach

Answer 45

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Question 46

Several variations of the TAT have been developed for different groups

Answer 46

Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) and a Senior Apperception Test (SAT)

Question 47

researchers have developed formal scoring systems for TAT stories

Answer 47

Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale

Question 48

The wording of the questions seems to fit the type of information desired

Answer 48

Face validity

Question 49

self-report questionnaires that assess personal traits

Answer 49

personality inventories

Question 50

which rely heavily on theory for an interpretation

Answer 50

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Question 51

* MMPI and similar inventories are based on ____ * the collection and evaluation of data. The administration of the MMPI is straightforward.

Answer 51

empirical approach