Counseling and Psych Exam 1

Question 1

Explain the similarities and differences in talking with a friend/family member vs talking with a therapist when you are experiencing difficulties.

Answer 1

• confidentiality/privacy
• knows how to help
• reliable
• contractional relationship

Question 2

Explain (generally) what the term “psychotherapy” means

Answer 2

(sometimes called talk therapy) refers to a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Question 3

Explain the difference between the terms “client” and “patient.” Identify which profession(s) are likely to use each term and why.

Answer 3

Client: business relationship, more equality, transaction
Patient: medical model, implies illness, negative connotation

Question 4

Who is Lightner Witmer and what is his contribution to the field of clinical psychology? What tasks did he emphasize for the profession of clinical psych?

Answer 4

first operator of a psychological clinic.
work involved treatment of behavior, education, and interpersonal issues

Question 5

Paraphrase the definition of clinical psychology provided by Division of the APA.

Answer 5

the scope of clinical psychology is huge and provides care to all ages and all kinds of people. it is multi-faceted: promotes human adaptation, adjustment, and personal development

Question 6

Explain the perceived advantages and limitations of the Boulder, Vail, and Clinical Science Models

Answer 6

Boulder: do research! most common program. most graduates end up in academics. Lacks therapy training.
Vail: consumes research! better at therapizing?
Clinical Science: do more research! bad at therapizing?

Question 7

Boulder Model

Answer 7

(scientist-practioner)
training model for clinical psychologist that emphasizes research and therapy training. usually involves conducting a research study

Question 8

Vail Model

Answer 8

(scholar-professional)
training model for clinical psychologist that emphasizes practice of therapy and intervention. seeks to consume research more than do research

Question 9

Clinical Science Model

Answer 9

training model for clinical psychologist that emphasizes research more than Boulder model. Also focuses on tested treatments

Question 10

Summarize current professional activities and employment settings in clinical psychologists in the US

Answer 10

• research
• private practice
• academics
• universities
• hospitals
• community mental health center
• gov agencies
• consultation
• diagnosis/ assessment

Question 11

Differentiate clinical psychologists from related professions, including counseling psychologists, professional counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists, physician’s assistants and psychiatric nurses.

Answer 11

Clinical psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Question 12

Distinguish between Ohio’s LPC and LPCC designations.

Answer 12

LPC: less training, needs to be supervised, usually becomes LPCC
LPCC: needs 3000 hours of supervision, does not need to be supervised after
both require masters degrees and a licensing exam

Question 13

Describe the emerging trends in therapy training and why they are important.

Answer 13

Technology
- use of webcam
- computer based assessment
- telehealth
Competencies
- skills that a student must demonstrate like research, cultural competence, assessment, etc.

Question 14

Describe key applicant characteristics preferred by clinical psychology graduate programs

Answer 14

Strong academics
Research and experience
recommendations
Clear purpose statement
Competitive GRE scores
Commitment to diversity
Interpersonal, ethical, and professional skills
Adaptability and empathy

Question 15

Compare and contrast predoctoral and postdoctoral internships for clinical psychologists

Answer 15

Predoctoral internships occur during doctoral training, offer broader clinical experience, and have shorter durations. Postdoctoral internships come after a doctoral degree, specialize in specific areas, have longer durations, and offer higher compensation. Both are essential for licensure.

Question 16

Generally describe what it takes to get licensed as a clinical psychologist

Answer 16

bachelors degree
PhD or PsyD (4years-6)
national and state exams
supervision

Question 17

Explain why the diversification of the US is so important for psychologists/counselors

Answer 17

• language barriers (privacy issue for translator)
• misunderstanding from cultural differences
• access
• biases

Question 18

Explain what it means to describe multiculturalism as the “fourth force” in clinical psychology. Be able to articulate the other “forces” in the field.

Answer 18

forces:
1- psychoanalysis (freud)
2- behaviorism (opposes psychoanalysis)
3- human/person-centered (help person become their best self)
4- multiculturalism (every person is seen as equal in value regardless of differences)

Question 19

Name and describe (in detail) the professional efforts in clinical psychology that demonstrate the field’s current focus on multiculturalism.

Answer 19

professional efforts currently towards becoming more culturally sensitive…
- APA divisions like society for the psychology of women, psychology of the religion and spirituality, society for the study of men and masculinities
- association for black psychologists
- edits to the DSM like “cultural formation interview”

Question 20

Name, explain, and give examples of the 3 primary components of cultural competence.

Answer 20

• awareness (of the self- learning about own culture and biases)
• knowledge (of culture and diversity- can be gained by reading, asking, experiencing)
• skills

Question 21

Explain what is meant by “acculturation” and be able to articulate the 4 acculturation patterns that have been identified (book)

Answer 21

acculturation: assimilation to a different culture, typically the dominant one.

4 patterns: assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization.

Question 22

Explain the importance of “microaggressions” in a clinical context and be able to provide examples. (book)

Answer 22

Microaggression: a statement, action, or incident of indirect discrimination against members of a marginalized group.\

Affect Patient Well-Being, trust
May lead to poorer health outcomes for marginalized groups.
Impact Provider-Patient Relationships
Highlight Cultural competence

Question 23

Etic vs emic perspective

Answer 23

etic: old viewpoint, emphasizes similarity between people, downplays cultural-based differences
emic: current viewpoint, emphasizes cultural-specific norms, appreciates clients for their culture

Question 24

Tripartite model of personal identity

Answer 24

Freud’s personality theory saw the psyche structured into three parts (i.e., tripartite), the id, ego, and superego, all developing at different stages in our lives.

id: uncontrollable urges
ego: compromise
superego: rules in your head

Question 24

Define and explain the importance of “culture” in the context of counseling and psychotherapy.
- Articulate the difference between narrow and broad definitions of cultures and explain how cultural variables may interact with one another

Answer 24

there are 3 levels of identity that are to be recognized by psychologists for every client:
- individual level (every person is unique)
- group level (every person is like some others)
- universal level (every person is like all others)

*on a continuum

Question 24

Describe methods used to train psychologists/counselors in cultural issues.

Answer 24

• education by training, courses, readings, real-world experiences
• encouraging cultural self-knowledge, curiosity, and humanity

Question 25

Explain how cultural variations in the parent-child relationship can influence the clinical context (book)

Question 26

Explain how/when did the first code of ethics come about (including how revisions affected the code).

Answer 26

first code of ethics was developed (1953) by a group of surveyed psychologists opinions on ethics, and the main themes that were shared (was very long)

revisions made it more user-friendly with a better format. there has been 10 revisions since the initial code

Question 27

Differentiate between the standards and principles of the code.
- What is the difference between the “aspirational” and “enforceable” components of the code?

Answer 27

the code of ethics is divided into 2 sections:
- general principals (guide and inspire therapists)
- standards (rules)

enforceable components explain what a psychologist should not do, and if they do, do they then loose their license.

Question 28

Name, explain, and be able to identify examples of the 5 general principles.

Answer 28

1: beneficence and non-maleficence (do good not harm)
2: fidelity and responsibility (don’t be mean)
3: integrity (be honest, don’t mislead)
4: justice (all people benefit from access)
5: respect for people’s rights and dignity (confidentiality, privacy, respect of individual difference)

Question 29

Explain the difference between confidential information and privileged information.

Answer 29

Confidentiality is a responsibility to protect someone else’s choices about disclosure, and.
Privilege is a legal rule prohibiting the disclosure of private information against someone’s will.

Question 30

Describe the situations under which must confidentiality be breached.
- How do issues related to confidentiality apply when the client is a child or adolescent (discussed some in class, elaborated on in the text)

Answer 30

breach confidentiality if…
- individual directly has thoughts of being a danger to self (has intent, a specific plan, means, will not voluntarily go to the hospital, and will not contract)
- individual is a danger to others (makes a specific threat of serious harm to an identifiable individual)

Question 31

Explain the importance of the Tarasoff case.

Answer 31

• took place at California Berkley (1968)
• graduate school student was infatuated with Tarasoff (another student) who did not like him
• therapist reported grad student to police who did nothing
• grad student killed Tarasoff
• led to the therapists duty to protect/warn individuals and break confidentiality if needed

Question 32

Name and explain the major elements of informed consent for therapy. Why is each important?

Answer 32

• potential risks/benefits
• fees, availability, treatment plan
• involvement of their parties
• status of therapist
• audio/videotaping
• state and federal laws

*included on the form to make the client informed about their treatment and protect them and the theraist

Question 33

Explain what the Ethics code says about the issue of therapist “competence.”

Question 34

Differentiate between ethical and unethical multiple relationships for clinical psychologists.

Answer 34

multi-relationships: a secondary role with the same person besides therapy
- if client’s mental health could be compromised, do not get in a multiple relationship

Question 35

Explain key ethical considerations for psychological assessment and research (text and Ethics Code).

Question 36

Explain what a randomized clinical trial is (RTC)
- How might one conduct an RCT in the context of psychotherapy?

Answer 36

RTC: randomized clinical trial that has ideal conditions with high internal validity

in psychotherapy context, RTC could be done…
- uniform sampes of participants and problems
- random assignment of clients to conditions
- carefully monitored treatments

an efficacy trial (high internal validity) then an effectiveness trial in the real world (high external validity).

Question 37

What is a dismantling study? What’s the purpose of this type of study?

Answer 37

a specific study to psychotherapy where effective treatments are taken apart in order to find the “active” or effective part of the original treatment.
Example: telephone therapy to caregivers with depressive symptoms (found that behavior was the most effective for treating this group)

Question 38

Describe an analogue design.

Answer 38

approximates the target client or situation so that a test can be done (settle with circumstances for outside reasons like funding or resources)

Question 39

Describe a quasi-experimental design.

Answer 39

groups that are already formed are used to test an IV (not randomized), leaving the results to be not generalizable and cannot establish a cause and effect relationship.
*weak study

Question 40

Describe the advantages and limitations of a case study.

Answer 40

advantage: looks specifically at one person, high attention to detail, can be very exploratorative and flexible

disadvantage: not generalizable results, change may be unique to situation, hard to replicate, researcher bias, lacks scientific methods

Question 41

What is a CONSORT flow diagram in the context of psychotherapy research?
- What can you learn by looking at one?

Answer 41

type of diagram that is required in clinical psychology journals as a helpful way t see why the study failed/ succeed and where.
- can learn where participants decided to stop participating in the study

Question 42

Explain the types of results that can come from a psychotherapy outcomes study.
o Satisfaction Surveys
o Box scores
o Meta-analyses and effect sizes

Answer 42

Satisfaction Surveys: Assess client happiness with therapy. Gauges their perception of its effectiveness and quality.

Box Scores: Summarize statistical data, like means and standard deviations, showing the central tendencies and variability in outcomes.

Meta-analyses and Effect Sizes: Combines results from multiple studies, quantifying therapy’s overall impact using standardized measures (e.g., Cohen’s d).

Question 43

Explain the difference between an efficacy study and an effectiveness study. Why would you conduct one over the other?

Answer 43

efficacy trail: standard RCT with high internal validity

effectiveness trial: happens after efficacy to establish a real word application; high external validity; “messier”

Question 44

Explain what it means, according to the APA Presidential Task Force, for an intervention to have
o Strong research support
o Modest research support
o Controversial support

Answer 44

Strong Research Support: Substantial, high-quality evidence consistently shows intervention effectiveness. Well-established and recommended for use.

Modest Research Support: Some evidence suggests effectiveness, but more research is needed for confirmation.

Controversial Support: Mixed or disputed evidence, approach with caution, and critical evaluation.

Question 45

What is evidence based psychological practice? What factors does it incorporate?

Answer 45

using only treatments that have shown to be effective through research
- incorporates random assignment, credible control groups, manualized treatment, fixed number of sessions, and clear outcomes (DV)

Question 46

Explain the purpose of a clinical practice guideline and be able to describe where we are as a field in terms of producing clinical practice guidelines.

Answer 46

clinical practice guideline: instructions for health professionals of how to treat specific illnesses
- helps standardize and use effective treatments based on research
- current efforts are being made in psychology (like towards PTSD and child obesity)

Question 47

What is the concern re: internal vs external validity when considering studies examining psychological treatments? (You will need to be able to explain both internal and external validity)

Answer 47

internal validity: high when design is well controlled and lets the DV be attributed to manipulations in the IV.
- includes random assignment, clear definition of IV, treatment fidelity (keeps treatment consistent over time), and evidence-based measures

external validity: high when results are generalizable to other clients, problems and situations

Question 48

What factors make conducting an RCT in the context of psychotherapy so much more challenging than conducting and RCT with a medication?

Answer 48

• privacy/ confidentiality
• lack of control of treatment across therapists
• lack of placebo– hard to establish cause and effect relationship
• therapy is individualized
• requires a lot of funding and time

Question 49

what is the waitlist control? how it is beneficial?

Answer 49

1/2 study’s participants could get treatment first then next 1/2 could afterwards to allow for placebo without unethically limiting access to people

Question 50

Describe a within groups design

Answer 50

one group with a measured baseline gets an intervention to compare from start to finish of treatment

Question 51

Describe a mixed group design

Answer 51

randomized two groups with a measured baseline at start and at the end, to see if change between groups

Question 52

Describe a between group design

Answer 52

randomly assigned participants to two or more groups that get compared against each other to establish a cause