Personality Assessment and Self-Report Instruments Flashcards
In clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, formal diagnosis of a psychological disorder is ____.
A) Accomplished through the administration of personality inventories and other measures sensitive to psychopathology
B) A process that entails the integration of information obtained through the clinical interview and results of personality test findings
C) Rarely feasible, given the premium that is placed on the assessment of cognitive function
D) Feasible only to the extent that subsequent therapeutic services may be reimbursed
B) A process that entails the integration of information obtained through the clinical interview and results of personality test findings
The benefits of personality testing relative to brief self-report measures of emotional function are that extended personality tests ____.
A) Are pathognomonic of specific DSM-IV TR diagnoses and help with differential diagnosis
B) Can be tailored to the individual patient’s condition and symptoms
C) Provide a more detailed and elaborate assessment of the quality, validity, and magnitude of self-reported symptoms
D) Provide more detail regarding symptom longitudinal course and duration
C) Provide a more detailed and elaborate assessment of the quality, validity, and magnitude of self-reported symptoms
One of the novelties of the original MMPI was that it developed ____.
A) Through a logical keying approach, whereby the content of test items was easily recognizable among test respondents
B) Through a process that includes results of projective responses with a description of family members’ description of patients’ childhood events
C) Through an empirical keying approach, whereby the content of test items is of less importance relative to their ability to discriminate psychiatric groups from healthy community samples
D) For use across the full lifespan, from childhood to adulthood, including problems with relationships, substance abuse, and meeting societal expectations
C) Through an empirical keying approach, whereby the content of test items is of less importance relative to their ability to discriminate psychiatric groups from healthy community samples
Studies conducted with the MMPI-2 and MMPI-2 RF in litigating mild TBI samples reveal a greater tendency to ____.
A) Adopt a defensive response style marked by underreporting of symptoms
B) Endorse paranoia and “psychotic” symptoms as opposed to somatic complaints and other “neurotic” symptoms
C) Endorse somatic complaints and other “neurotic” symptoms as opposed to paranoia and “psychotic” symptoms
D) Respond randomly or inconsistently to test items
C) Endorse somatic complaints and other “neurotic” symptoms as opposed to paranoia and “psychotic” symptoms
When compared to the MMPI-2, the PAI ____.
A) Takes longer to administer in its entirety
B) Includes language that is directly relevant to modern diagnostic systems, such as the DSM-IV
C) Has a more extensive research literature attesting to its utility
D) Includes norms that are less likely to be impacted by age and gender
B) Includes language that is directly relevant to modern diagnostic systems, such as the DSM-IV
Limitations of most self-report measures of emotional function include ____.
A) Low convergent validity with other measures and often discrepant findings from the clinical interview
B) Greater reliance on face validity and limited ability to detect response bias
C) The frequent use of a Likert scale approach, which can be confusing to patients with cognitive impairment
D) Limited incremental validity above/beyond extended personality measures
B) Greater reliance on face validity and limited ability to detect response bias
Although the BDI-II and BAI have a long tradition of assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults, clinicians might consider administration of the full-length GDS in geriatric samples because the ____.
A) GDS includes well established T-scores that are more appropriately normed in aging samples
B) GDS includes far fewer test items and is likely to be less burdensome
C) GDS includes fewer items that are specific to the physical manifestations of emotional difficulty
D) BDI-II and BAI include norms that only extend to age 60
C) GDS includes fewer items that are specific to the physical manifestations of emotional difficulty
When giving a personality inventory to a patient who is 18 years old, one should ____.
A) Always administer the adult version of the inventory, in the instance that the patient may need to take the inventory again in the future
B) Always administer the adolescent version as the norms for the adult version tend to overpathologize someone of this age
C) Consult specific personality inventory manuals to guide decision making
D) Give both the adolescent and adult versions and compare them
C) Consult specific personality inventory manuals to guide decision making
In keeping with the general advice regarding how one uses the results of personality testing, when diagnosing somatization, a prudent clinician would ____.
A) Base the diagnosis solely on evaluations of relevant validity and clinical scales
B) Consider elevations of relevant scales in the context of history and medical findings
C) Not include the results of personality testing, which have been shown to have little relevance to the diagnosis
D) Disregard personality test findings when discrepant from interview and history information
B) Consider elevations of relevant scales in the context of history and medical findings
Which of the following is not an appropriate use of personality testing?
A) Identifying psychological factors affecting known medical condition
B) Evaluation of psychological status with regard to disability or return to work
C) Evaluating of psychological readiness for surgical or other medical intervention
D) Ruling out a medical condition in a patient whose medical evaluations have been equivocal
D) Ruling out a medical condition in a patient whose medical evaluations have been equivocal
