Myers et al - Psychological Testing and Psychological Assessment

Question 1

What are the 7 purposes of psychological assessment outlined by Myers et al?

Answer 1

1. Describe current functioning, including cognitive abilities, severity of disturbance and capacity for independent living
2. Confirm, refute or modify impressions formed by clinicians through their less structured interactions with patients
3. Identify therapeutic needs, highlight issues likely to emerge in treatment, recommend forms of intervention, offer guidance about likely outcomes
4. Aid in the differential diagnosis of emotional, behavioral and cognitive disorders
5. Monitor treatment over time to evaluate success of interventions or to identify new issues that may require attention
6. Manage risk, including minimization of potential legal abilities and identification of untoward treatment reactions
7. Provide empathic feedback

Question 2

Therapeutic impact of assessment likely to be greatest when:

Answer 2

1. Initial treatment efforts have failed
2. Patient is motivated
3. Collaborative procedures used
4. Families/providers involved
5. Detailed feedback provided

Question 3

Many medical and psychological interventions produce correlations in what range?

Answer 3

.15-.30

Question 4

What are monomethod coefficients?

Answer 4

obtained whenever numerical values on a predictor and criterion are completely or largely derived from the same source of information for example: self report and self report

Question 5

What is a base rate?

Answer 5

the frequency with which certain conditions occur in a setting

Question 6

What is cross-method agreement refer to?

Answer 6

The extent to which distinct assessment methods provide unique versus redundant information

Distinct assessment methods provide unique information – this is evident from the relatively low to moderate associations between independent methods of assessing similar constructs

Question 7

unstructured interviews elicit information relevant to…

Answer 7

thematic life narratives, though they can be constrained by the range of topics considered and ambiguity

Question 8

Structured interviews and self-report instruments elicit details concerning patients…

Answer 8

conscious understanding of themselves and overtly experience symptoms, though limited by patient’s motivation to communicate and ability to make accurate judgments

Question 9

Performance based personality test elicit data about…

Answer 9

behavior in unstructured settings or implicit dynamics

Question 10

Performance based cognitive tasks: elicit findings about…

Answer 10

problem solving and functional capacities

Question 11

Observer rating scales: elicit an informant’s…

Answer 11

perception of the patient

Question 12

Test batteries- especially in personality assessment has been criticized because….

Answer 12

incremental validity has not been consistently demonstrated

Question 13

Research validity is compromised when info is derived from a single method of measurement + when a construct has been operationally defined in a single way. What are the terms for these two types of bias?

Answer 13

monomethod bias and monooperation bias