Chapter 3: Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Flashcards
Idiographic
Information about a particular individual, as opposed to a larger population
Assessment
The process of collecting and interpreting relevant information about a client or research participant
Standardize
The process in which a test is administered to a large group of people whose performance then serves as a standard or norm against which any individual’s score can be measured
Reliability
A measure of the consistency of test or research results
Validity
A measure of the accuracy of a test’s or study’s results
Mental Status Exam
A set of interview questions and observations designed to reveal the degree and nature of a client’s abnormal functioning
Clinical Tests
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
Projective Test
A test consisting of ambiguous material that people interpret or respond to
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
Response Inventories
Tests designed to measure a person’s responses in one specific area of functioning, such as affect, social skills, or cognitive processes
Psychophysiological Tests
A test that measures physical responses (such as heart rate and muscle tension) as possible indicators of psychological problems
Neuroimaging
Neurological tests that provide images of brain structure or activity, such as CT scans, PET scans, and MRIs. Also called brain scanning.
Neuropsychological Tests
A test that detects brain impairment by measuring a person’s cognitive, perceptual, and motor performances
Intelligence Test
A test designed to measure a person’s intellectual ability
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
An overall score derived from intelligence tests
Diagnosis
A determination that a person’s problems reflect a particular disorder
Syndrome
A cluster of symptoms that usually occur together
Classification System
A list of disorders, along with descriptions of symptoms and guidelines for making appropriate diagnoses
Empirically Supported/Evidence-Based 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
Rapprochement Movement
A movement to identify a set of common factors, or common strategies, that run through all successful therapies
Psychopharmacologist
A psychiatrist who primarily prescribes medication
