Psychological Assessment Questions Flashcards
The WAIS-III subtest which is least affected by normal aging processes is A. comprehension. B. similarities. C. arithmetic. D. vocabulary.
D. vocabulary.
This is a variation on the question about the “classic aging pattern” on IQ. The accepted finding is that as we get older, certain cognitive functions begin to fail, particularly those which rely on the neurochemical substructure of the nervous system. Thus our speed is not as quick, our motor skills show deficits, etc. But cognitive abilities relying on crystallized processes, such as long-term memory, show little change. Hence, of the alternatives listed here, vocabulary skills would show the least age-related decline. We tend to retain our capacity for language throughout the lifespan.
The Stroop Test is commonly used to assess: A. posture B. contralateral neglect C. visual problems D. attention problems
D. attention problems
John Stroop, a psychologist, developed the Stroop Color Word Test in 1932 as a screening device for frontal lobe damage. The test involves the presentation of a list of color words (blue, green, red, and so forth) with each word printed in colored ink, but not in the color denoted by the word (for example, the word “yellow” is printed in blue, green or red ink). The participant’s task is to name the ink color in which each word is printed as quickly as possible. A correct response requires the inhibition of reading the color name. Patients with left frontal lesions are often unable to inhibit reading the words and thus are impaired at this task. Others with attention deficits, including those with ADHD, also perform more poorly on the Stroop Test compared to those without attention deficits
The theory that proposes convergent and divergent thinking as dimensions of intelligence is associated with: A. Galton B. Thurstone C. Guilford D. Cattell
C. Guilford
C. J.P. Guilford identified 120 elements using factor analysis that he proposed in sum comprise intelligence. Convergent thinking is the ability to group or analyze divergent ideas usually leading to a unifying concept or single solution. Divergent thinking is the ability to generate creative, new ideas or to elaborate or branch off from traditional approaches, such as in brainstorming or “thinking out of the box.” Galton (a.) postulated that intelligence is an inherited trait distributed normally across the population. Thurstone (b.) applied his method of factor analysis to intelligence leading to his proposed theory of Primary Mental Abilities (that individuals possess varying degrees of sub-components of intelligence). Cattell’s (d.) theory distinguished between fluid and crystallized intelligence.
When a psychologist working out of the Adlerian model serves as a consultant in a school, they:
A. Work primarily with the school
B. Identify the areas of inferiority within the system
C. Primarily educate the parents and teachers through an emphasis on preventive interventions
D. Reverse roles–having the teachers see themselves as children and the students as parents in the family school system.
C. Primarily educate the parents and teachers through an emphasis on preventive interventions
In general, consultants work with the teachers and parents rather than individual students. With the Adlerian model, preventive interventions are emphasized and the consultants educate the parents and teachers. (Dustin and Ehly 1992).
Using the deviation IQ is preferred to using the ratio IQ because the deviation IQ:
A. can be ascertained more easily by simply referring to the IQ tables.
B. is a more reliable measure of performance for the lower and upper ranges than was the ratio IQ.
C. is comparable across all ages because the standard deviations are the same for all ages.
D. all of the above.
C. is comparable across all ages because the standard deviations are the same for all ages.
The ratio IQ was a simple formula used when mental tests were first developed. It was a way of determining how the child’s mental age differed from his or her chronological age. A problem with the ratio IQ is that IQ scores are not comparable across age groups. For this reason, the deviation IQ was developed. Here the IQs are related to the average score for each age group and the derived IQ is presented in terms of how far the score deviates from that average. In this way, the scores can be more easily compared across ages.
According to current research, the most predictive variable for adult IQ scores among infant responses would be
A. scores on the Bayley Scale of Infant Development.
B. scores on the Gesell Development Schedule.
C. attention to a visual recognition task.
D. auditory orientation.
C. attention to a visual recognition task.
While standard developmental scales don’t predict later IQ score, a baby’s responses to a visual attention task do. How much time it takes the baby to assimilate a novel stimulus is moderately predictive of later IQ score since, it is hypothesized, the mental functioning involved is similar.
An examinee who makes a number of confabulatory responses on the Rorschach has overgeneralized from a part of the inkblot to the whole. Such responses suggest which of the following?
A. need for immediate gratification
B. High intelligence and creativity
C. A high degree of defensiveness or denial
D. Brain damage, intellectual disability, or emotional disturbance
D. Brain damage, intellectual disability, or emotional disturbance - Correct As noted in the question, an examinee makes a confabulatory response (DW) when he/she overgeneralizes from a part of the inkblot to the whole inkblot – e.g., “It looks like my father because of those eyes. My father had those same penetrating eyes.” In this situation, the examinee has overgeneralized a detail of the inkblot (“penetrating eyes”) so that the entire inkblot reminds him of his father.
(AATBS Sample Questions)
"Confabulation" on the Rorschach Inkblot Test is most suggestive of: A. brain damage. B. giftedness. C. sociopathy. D. an invalid record.
A. brain damage - Correct: On the Rorschach, confabulation refers to overgeneralizing from a part of an inkblot to the whole. Confabulation is most associated with brain damage, emotional disturbance, and intellectual disability.
(AATBS Sample Questions)
An 18-year-old who has received a diagnosis of ADHD is likely to obtain the highest score on which of the following WAIS-IV Indexes? A. Verbal Comprehension B. Working Memory C. Processing Speed D. Perceptual Reasoning
A. Verbal Comprehension - The impact of ADHD on WAIS-IV scores is reported in the test’s Technical and Interpretive Manual and listed in the section on the WAIS-IV in the Psychological Assessment chapter of the study materials. Individuals with ADHD usually score highest on the Verbal Comprehension Index, followed by the Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed Indexes.
(AATBS Sample Questions)
