Midterm: General Information

Question 1

What is assessment?

Answer 1

multistep PROCESS of formulating and testing hypotheses related to a referral question

Question 2

What could count as an assessment?

Answer 2

Evaluation (does this work?), Estimation (intelligence, academic performance, personality), Measurement (degree/frequency)

Question 3

Why is assessment important?

Answer 3

1. Tracks outcomes
2. Used in research
3. Informs diagnosis (and thus treatment)
4. Case conceptualization (formulation)

Question 4

Formulation (case conceptualization)

Answer 4

best understanding of the case, narrative about how the client came to manifest concerns, organizes relevant facts of a case around the hypothesized functional relationship, identifies relationships that are accessible to direct interventions, identifies treatment goals (prioritizes goals in terms of importance to the client and the feasibility of attaining them)

1. History
2. Symptoms
3. Relationships
4. Demographics

Question 5

General targets of assessment

Answer 5

1. Problem areas–goals of intervention
2. Strengths and potentials
3. Causal variables (predisposing, precipitating, maintaining)
4. Meditating/moderating variable

Question 6

Steps of assessment

Answer 6

1. Problem clarification (what is the reason, what are the answers considering, what needs clarification, are there third party circumstances, are there risk factors, am I competent)
2. Data collection (what data is needed to test the hypothesis, how will it be collected–interview, mental status, observation, standardized tests)
3. Interpretation (evaluate data, integrate data from various sources, draw conclusions, determine additional data, make recommendations)

Question 7

Assessment vs. Testing

Answer 7

Testing: measurement, client compared to group, technical skills

Assessment: problem-solving, client in problem situation, greater knowledge base and integrative skills

Question 8

Advantages of tests

Answer 8

1. Standardization
2. Quantitative
3. Economical and efficient
4. Best and sometimes only feasible way of collecting data

Question 9

Areas of ethical concerns

Answer 9

1. Training
2. Acceptance of professional responsibility
3. Test selection, administration, scoring and norms
4. Test interpretation
5. Reporting to clients
6. Administrative/organizational policy issues

Question 10

Any behavior can be measured in _____

Answer 10

1. Frequency
2. Intensity
3. Duration

Question 11

What does a diagnosis do?

Answer 11

1. communicates to other professionals 2. informs tx

Question 12

What is standardization?

Answer 12

differences in scores is due to individual differences, not difference in the test