Chapter 3: Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis Flashcards
Clinical Assessment
Systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors.
Diagnosis
Process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting the individual meets all criteria for a psychological disorder.
Reliability
Degree to which a measurement is consistent.
Validity
Measures what is designed to measure.
Standardization
A process by which a certain set of standards or norms is determined for a technique to make its use consistent across different measurements.
MSE or Mental Status Exam
Involves the systematic observation of an individual’s behavior.
Behavioral Assessment
It uses direct observation to formally assess an individual’s thoughts, feelings and behavior in specific situations.
What are the ABCs of Observation?
Antecedent: A mother asking a child to put his glass in the sink
Behavior: The boy throwing the glass
Consequence: His mother’s lack of response
Self-monitoring
People can observe their own behavior to find patterns.
Psychological Tests
This include specific tools to determine cognitive, emotional, or behavioral responses.
Projective Tests
This include a variety of ambiguous stimuli such as pictures of people or things for people who were asked to describe what they see.
Rorschach Inkblot Test
This test includes 10 inkblot pictures that serves as the ambiguous stimuli.
Personality Inventories
Self-report questionnaires that assess personal traits.
Neuropsychological Tests
Measure abilities such as receptive and expressive language, attention and concentration, etc… in a way that the clinician can make educated guesses about the person’s performance.
CT scan or Computer Axial Tomography scan
Useful in identifying and locating abnormalities in the shape of the brain.
