Interviews

Question 1

What is the purpose of psychological assessment?

Answer 1

To build a mental profile of someone

Question 2

What is Physiognomy?

Answer 2

Believing that your external appearance reflects your personality (Ancient Greeks & 19th century)

Question 3

What is Humourism?

Answer 3

People operate as a hydraulic system
with fluids controlling things in our body and our temperament (Indian Ayurveda, Ancient Greek & Roman)

Blood
Yellow bile
Black bile
Phlegm

Question 4

What was the purpose of psychological assessment during WWI?

Answer 4

Mass efficient selection - competencies

Question 5

How did Space travel influence assessment?

Answer 5

Theorising what people need to complete a hypothetical task: making a profile of the ideal candidate then reverse engineering

Question 6

What movements/ events have influenced psychological assessment?

Answer 6

Physiognomy, Humorism, WWI, Space

Question 7

What is the difference between assessment and testing?

Answer 7

Testing = administration of a psychological test measuring psychological variables to obtain a sample of behaviour

Assessment = integration of psychological data (tests and other) to make an evaluation

Question 8

What is psychological assessment usually framed around?

Answer 8

The referral question

Question 9

What are some examples of different types of tools used for assessment? (8)

Answer 9

• tests
• portfolio assessment
• performance-based assessment
• the case history
• behavioral observation
• role-play tests
• computerized assessment
• assessment using simulations or video

Question 10

What information could you obtain if you were assessing a child’s intelligence?

Answer 10

Pregnancy/ postnatal history
Developmental markers: language motor and social 
First noticed/ when it happens
Antecedents: home life/ bullying  
Hearing and vision 
Learning styles 
Stroop/ other tests

Question 11

What information would you collect for an adult referred to for depression assessment?

Answer 11

Background - medical and other (+duration) 
Antecedents (sig. events) 
Self report 
Referral person/ information 
Baseline 
Occupational, family or genetic issues 
Demographics 
Hygiene/ behaviour 
DASS / other tests

Question 12

When can we use observations?

Answer 12

during test administration
during interviews
in natural settings
during role-play

Question 13

What is a pitfall of observations?

Answer 13

Very biased

Question 14

What is the most important means of data collection?

Answer 14

The interview

Question 15

What does the interview enable?

Answer 15

a framework/ context for tentative hypotheses

Question 16

What are some big developments/ movements in interviewing practice?

Answer 16

self-exploration 
therapeutic alliance 
hybrid (structured vs not) 
computer assisted 
cultural awareness

Question 17

What movement are interviews centred on today?

Answer 17

Cultural awareness

Question 18

Which has more predictive validity: Situational interviews or
past-related behaviour interviews?

Answer 18

Situational

Question 19

What biases are seen interviews?

Answer 19

• halo: impression influences opinion
• Confirmatory: selecting information that fits your existing view
• Physical attractiveness
• Interviewee distortions: overemphasis on events

Question 20

How much of the message in an interview is received from facial expressions?

Answer 20

55%

Question 21

What are some different types of cues other than verbal? (5)

Answer 21

• demographics
• medical (diagnosis/ medications ect.)
• physical
• cognitive (attention etc.)
• immediacy (engagement, facial expressions, personality etc.)

Question 22

What are the 5 Ps of the clinical interview?

Answer 22

Presenting 
Precipitating 
Perpetuating
Pre-morbid 
Protective

Question 23

What does Precipitating refer to?

Answer 23

the events that surrounding the experiences (proximal: antecedents)

Question 24

What does Perpetuating refer to?

Answer 24

things that make it worse/ aid in continuing negative experience

Question 25

What does Premorbid refer to?

Answer 25

previous physical and mental health and risk factors (homelessness/ abuse)

Question 26

What does Protective refer to?

Answer 26

things that help functioning

Question 27

What does the acronym SOLER for interview micro skills stand for?

Answer 27

S: Squarely face the client
O: Open posture
L: Lean toward the client 
E: Eye contact
R: Relax

Question 28

What should you avoid in an interview?

Answer 28

• Non-listening
• Partial listening
• Tape-recorder listening
• Rehearsing
• Interruptions
• Question threat

Question 29

What instruments can be used to assess depression?

Answer 29

• DASS; 42 item or 21
• Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10); 10 items
• Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); 21 items
• Mental Status/State Exam

Question 30

What does the DASS measure?

Answer 30

depression, anxiety and stress

Question 31

What does the K10 measure?

Answer 31

psychological distress

Question 32

What does the BDI-II measure?

Answer 32

the intensity of depression

Question 33

What information can be used to assess learning problems?

Answer 33

Referral information
Reports from other professionals
Tests
Behavioural observations

Question 34

What tests can be used to assess learning problems?

Answer 34

General ability/ intelligence tests
reading tests
Achievement tests