Chapter 3: Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Flashcards
analog observation
A method for observing behavior in which people are observed in artificial settings such as clinicians’ offices or laboratories.
assessment
The process of collecting and interpreting relevant information about a client or research participant.
battery
A series of tests, each of which measures a specific skill area.
categorical information
Refers to the name of the distinct category (disorder) indicated by the client’s symptoms.
classification system
A list of disorders, along with descriptions of symptoms and guidelines for making appropriate diagnoses.
clinical interview
A face-to-face encounter in which clinicians ask questions of clients, weigh their responses and reactions, and learn about them and their psychological problems.
clinical test
A device for gathering information about a few aspects of a person’s psychological functioning from which broader information about the person can be inferred.
common factors
Practices may run through all effective therapies, regardless of the clinicians’ particular orientations. Also known as common strategies.
Computerized axial tomography (CT scan)
A composite image of the brain created by compiling X-ray images taken from many angles.
diagnosis
A determination that a person’s problems reflect a particular disorder.
dimensional information
A rating of how severe a client’s symptoms are and how dysfunctional the client is across various dimensions of personality and behavior.
DSM-5
The fifth edition of the classification system for mental disorders developed by the American Psychiatric Association published in 2013.
DSM-5-TR
The text revision of DSM-5, published in 2022.
EEG
A device that records electrical impulses in the brain.
empirically supported treatment
A movement in the clinical field that seeks to identify which therapies have received clear research support for each disorder, to develop corresponding treatment guidelines, and to spread such information to clinicians. Also known as evidence-based treatment.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
A neuroimaging technique used to visualize internal functioning of the brain or body.
ICD-11
The newest edition of the classification system for medical and mental disorders that is used by the World Health Organization, published in 2022.
idiographic information
Information about a particular individual, as opposed to a larger population.
intelligence quotient (IQ)
An overall score derived from intelligence tests.
intelligence test
A test designed to measure a person’s intellectual ability.
mental status exam
A set of interview questions and observations designed to reveal the degree and nature of a client’s abnormal functioning.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
A widely used personality inventory consisting of a large number of statements that subjects mark as being true or false for them.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
A neuroimaging technique used to visualize internal functioning of the brain or body.
naturalistic observation
A method of observing behavior in which clinicians or researchers observe people in their everyday environments.
neuroimaging techniques
Neurological tests that provide images of brain structure or activity, such as CT scans, PET scans, and MRIs. Also called brain scanning.
neuropsychological test
A test that detects brain impairment by measuring a person’s cognitive, perceptual, and motor performances.
personality inventory
A test, designed to measure broad personality characteristics, consisting of statements about behaviors, beliefs, and feelings that people evaluate as either characteristic or uncharacteristic of them.
Positron emission tomography (PET scan)
A computer-produced motion picture showing rates of metabolism throughout the brain.
projective test
A test consisting of ambiguous material that people interpret or respond to.
psychopharmacologist
A psychiatrist who primarily prescribes medications.
psychophysiological test
A test that measures physical responses (such as heart rate and muscle tension) as possible indicators of psychological problems.
rapprochement movement
A movement to identify a set of common factors, or common strategies, that run through all successful therapies.
RDoC
The NIMH has developed its own neuroscience-focused classification tool, called the Research Domain Criteria, which is now used as a primary classification guide by many researchers.
