Chapter 3 Clinical assessment

Question 1

clinical assessment

Answer 1

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

Question 2

diagnosiss

Answer 2

is the process of determining whether the particualr problem afflicting the individual meets all criteria for a psychological disorder, as set forth in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5

Question 3

reliability

Answer 3

the degree to which a measurement is consistent

Question 4

standardization

Answer 4

is the process by which a certain set of standards and norms is determined for a technique to make its use consistent across different measurements.

Question 5

Mental status exam

Answer 5

the systematic observation of an individuals behaviour –> appearance and behaviour, thought processes, mood and affect, intellectual functioning, sensorium

Question 6

behavioural assessment

Answer 6

using direct observation to assess formally the individuals thoughts, feelings, and behaviour in specific situations or contexts.

Question 7

neuropsychological testing

Answer 7

measure abilities in areas such as receptive and expressive language, attention and concentration, memory, motor skills, perceptual abilities, and learning and abstraction in such a way that the clinician can make educated guesses about the person´s performance and the existence of brain impairment

Question 8

physiological assessment

Answer 8

referes to measurable changes in the nervous system that reflect emotional or psychological events

Question 9

idiographic strategy

Answer 9

diagnosing psychological disorders: if we want to determine what is unique about an individual´s personality, cultural background, or circumstances

Question 10

nomothetic strategy

Answer 10

diagnosing psychological disorders: to take asvantage of the information already accumulated on a particular problem or disorder, we must be able to determine a general class of problems to which the presenting problems belongs –> attempting to name or classify the problem

Question 11

classification

Answer 11

broad term, referring to simply any effort to construct groups or categories and assign objects or people to those categories on the basis of their shared attributes or relations - a nomothetic strategy

Question 12

taxonomy

Answer 12

in a scientific context, classification is often called taxonomy

Question 13

nosology

Answer 13

if you apply a taxonomic system to a psychological or medical phenomena or other clinical areas, you use the word nosology

Question 14

classical or categorical approach

Answer 14

assume that every diagnosis has a clear underlying pathophysiological cause, such as bacterial infection or malfunctional endocrine system, and that each disorder is unique

Question 15

dimensional approach

Answer 15

we note the variety of cognitions, moods, and behaviours with which the patient presents and quantify them on a scale

Question 16

prototypical approach

Answer 16

this alternative identifies certain essential characteristics of an entity so that you (and others) can classify it, but it also allows certain nonessential variations that do not necessarily change the classification

Question 17

comorbidity

Answer 17

individuals are often diagnosed with more than one psychological disorder at the same time