Key Terms Flashcards
Assessment
The process of gathering information about an individual’s psychological functioning to formulate a diagnosis, plan treatment, and evaluate progress.
Diagnostic Reasoning
The cognitive process clinicians use to integrate information from various sources to arrive at a diagnosis.
Reliability
The consistency and stability of assessment measures
Validity
The extent to which an assessment measure accurately assesses what it is intended to measure
Standardisation
The use of a fixed procedure for administering, scoring, and interpreting assessment measures
Clinical Interview
A structured or semi-structured conversation between a clinician and client to gather information about the client’s history, symptoms, and functioning
Psychological tests
Standardised instruments designed to measure various aspects of psychological functioning, such as personality, intelligence, and psychopathology
Paradigm
A conceptual framework or theoretical perspective that guides the understanding and treatment of psychopathology
Psychodynamic Therapy
A therapeutic approach that emphasizes the role of unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences in shaping psychological distress
Biological treatments
Interventions that target the biological underpinnings of mental disorders, such as medication, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and neurostimulation
Eclectic Therapy
An integrative approach that combines techniques from multiple therapeutic paradigms
Harmful therapies
Treatments that have the potential to cause harm or exacerbate psychological symptoms.
Efficacy
The extent to which a treatment is effective in controlled research settings.
Effectiveness
The extent to which a treatment is effective in real-world clinical settings
Incidence
The number of new cases that appear in a population during a specific time period
