chapter 3

Question 1

Reliability

Answer 1

Consistency of measurement

Question 2

Interrater reliability

Answer 2

refers to the degree to which two independent observers agree on what they have observed

Question 3

Test–retest reliability

Answer 3

measures the extent to which people being observed twice or taking the same test twice, perhaps several weeks or months apart, receive similar scores

Question 4

internal consistency reliability

Answer 4

assesses whether the items on a test are related to one another.

Question 5

alternate-form reliability,

Answer 5

the extent to which scores on the two forms of the test are consistent

Question 6

Validity

Answer 6

whether a measure measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 7

Content validity

Answer 7

refers to whether a measure adequately samples the domain of interest

Question 8

Interviews

Answer 8

Clinical and structural

Question 9

Clinical

Answer 9

The clinician learns about the patient’s problems through conversation. The paradigm of the interviewer shapes the content of the interview.

Question 10

Structural interviews

Answer 10

Questions to be asked are spelled out in detail in a booklet. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSMIV Axis I Disorders is a structured interview that is commonly used to make a diagnosis.

Question 11

Stress measures

Answer 11

Self-report scales or interviews that assess stressful events and responses to these events.

Question 12

Name some psychological tests

Answer 12

Personality, projective and intelligence tests

Question 13

Personality test

Answer 13

Self-report questionnaires, used to assess either a broad range of characteristics, as in the MMPI-2, or a single characteristic, such as dysfunctional attitudes.

Question 14

Projective Test

Answer 14

Ambiguous stimuli, such as inkblots (Rorschach test), are presented and responses are thought to be determined by unconscious processes.

Question 15

Intelligence test

Answer 15

Assessments of current mental functioning. Used to predict school performance and identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses.

Question 16

Direct observation

Answer 16

Used by behavioral clinicians to identify problem behaviors as well as antecedents and consequences. Also used to assess cognition, as in the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations technique.

Question 17

Self-observation

Answer 17

People monitor and keep records of their own behavior, as in ecological momentary assessment.

Question 18

Brain imaging

Answer 18

CT and MRI scans reveal the structure of the brain. PET reveals brain function and, to a lesser extent, brain structure. fMRI is used to assess both brain structure and brain function.

Question 19

Neurotransmitter assessment

Answer 19

Includes postmortem analysis of neurotransmitters and receptors, assays of metabolites of neurotransmitters, and PET scans of receptors.

Question 20

Neuropsychological assessment

Answer 20

Behavioral tests such as the Halstead–Reitan and Luria–Nebraska assess abilities such as motor speed, memory, and spatial ability. Deficits on particular tests help point to an area of brain dysfunction.

Question 21

Psychophysiological assessment

Answer 21

Includes measures of electrical activity in the autonomic nervous system, such as skin conductance, or in the central nervous system, such as EEG.