Selecting tests, diagnosis and intervention

Question 1

What should be considered when selecting a test?

Answer 1

• changes from previous versions
• duration
• minimum interval between tests
• competence to administer

Question 2

What are Cohen and Swerdlik’s test development steps? (5)

Answer 2

conceptualisation 
construction 
tryout 
analysis 
revision

Question 3

What are the 3 general categories of test types?

Answer 3

subject performing task
observation of behaviour
self-report

Question 4

Why was the Thurstone scale notable?

Answer 4

Was the first formal technique to measure attitude (1929) and used numerical values attributed to statements

Question 5

What is a scale?

Answer 5

Numerical values that are given interpretations / visa versa (e.g. Likert Scale)

Question 6

What known scale is an ordinal scale?

Answer 6

Guttman (1st preference, 2nd… etc.)

Question 7

An example of a discrete/ continuous scale:

Answer 7

Not helpful………….. Helpful (with increments in between without labels)

Question 8

What are the two main types of personality tests?

Answer 8

Projective (free responses to ambiguous tasks)

Structured (set responses to set questions)

Question 9

What is the DSM-V?

Answer 9

A catalogue of description of behavioural deviance

Question 10

What are the 5 axes in the DSM-IV? And which one was dropped for the DSM-V?

Answer 10

• Axis I – Clinical Disorders
• Axis II – Personality Disorders/Retardation
• Axis III – General Medical Conditions
• Axis IV – Psychosocial and Environmental Problems
• Axis V – Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) DROPPED in DSM-V

Question 11

What DSM were the decision tress part of?

Answer 11

DSM-IV-TR (not DSM-V)

Question 12

What is the difference between nomothetic and idiographic?

Answer 12

idiographic - the specific e.g. the individual

nomothetic - the general e.g. rules and norms

Question 13

What are some of the positive and negative effects of diagnostic labels?

Answer 13

Allow people to get away with things with label (e.g. underachievement)
vs.
Lack of concern/ support without labels

Question 14

What should be asked about a person who is referred due to:
“becoming wildly agitated at a funeral, screaming uncontrollably and needing to be restrained by relatives”
and
“inconsolably rocking in a corner, and talking about the devil taking her soul”?

Answer 14

Is it a normal response (e.g. for culture/ age)?
Are there any troubling symptoms (are they still in emotional turmoil/ are they doing anything really harmful)?
How long has it lasted?

Question 15

In the presence of delusions what could be a possible diagnosis?

Answer 15

Brief psychotic disorder

Question 16

When would you not consider brief psychotic disorder as a cause for delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech or catatonic behaviour?

Answer 16

When it is culturally sanctioned/ normal (e.g. speaking of the devil)

Question 17

If you weren’t sure whether or not the person had returned to a normal level of functioning after their psychotic event, what could you say about the diagnosis of a brief psychotic disorder?

Answer 17

Make it provisional (if never returns to normal functioning = not brief psychotic disorder)

Question 18

If a person being referred had obvious/ previously diagnosed mood problem or alcoholic abuse what could you do about diagnosis?

Answer 18

Would have to account for these before diagnosing another disorder

Question 19

What would an example of a specific event/ reactive marked stressor be in the case of a person who has just had their father die?

Answer 19

Avoids situations by remaining in their house

Question 20

What could you assume from “some people thought she was ‘full of herself’ and seemed to want to be centre of things”?

Answer 20

personality disorder - a long enduring pattern of behaviour

Question 21

What is the definition of histrionic personality disorder?

Answer 21

pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking

begins early adulthood on multiple contexts

Question 22

What is “she was a beautiful person” when referring to your mother indicative of?

Answer 22

excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail (histrionic personality disorder)

Question 23

What are a few qualities that a person with histrionic personality disorder would have?

Answer 23

• needs to be centre of attention
• seductive
• physical appearance for attention
• shallow expressions of emotion
• theatrical
• suggestible/ influenced easily
• considers relationships more intense than actually are

Question 24

How is specific phobia defined?

Answer 24

Persistent, immediate fear or anxiety (out of proportion to stressor) about a specific object or situation

Question 25

What are some examples of specific phobias?

Answer 25

Animals (spiders, snakes)
Natural environment 
Blood-injection-injury 
Situational (e.g. aeroplanes) 
Other (costumed characters)