Test Administration Flashcards
If someone recently acquired dominant hemisphere lesion, what information would you use to determine premorbid estimate?
Historical, demographic, and nonverbal data
If someone recently acquired diffuse brain damage, what information would you use to determine premorbid estimate?
Historical, word reading
If someone had a remote dominant hemisphere lesion, what information would you use to determine premorbid estimate?
Nonverbal, demographic, and word reading
If someone had dyslexia or learning disability, what information would you use to determine premorbid estimate?
Nonverbal, demographic
What is test accuracy?
Determined by total true positives and true negatives
Test with high sensitivity…
Rules out the diagnosis with a negative result. Use the mnemonic Sn-Out to remember negative test score on a test with high sensitivity rules out a diagnosis
Test with high specificity…
Rules in a diagnosis with a positive result. Use the mnemonic Sp-Pin to remember a positive test result on a test with high specificity rules the diagnosis in.
The PPV and NPV…
provide information about the likelihood the person has the disease when the test score is positive for the condition or when it is negative and the condition is absent. Both PPV and NPV are based on prevalence rates of the condition. As the prevalence rate of a condition decreases, the PPV will also decline.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a less strict cut-off to interpret abnormality?
Less strict (using a cut-off of 1.0 SD below the mean) thresholds result in increased sensitivity to potential mild dysfunction, but... increase the risk of making false-positive errors in incorrectly associating the constellation of scores as brain dysfunction when it is not (e.g., could reflect normal variability and measurement error).
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a more strict cut-off to interpret abnormality?
Using a cut-off score of -2.0 SD below the mean results in increased specificity (low scores actually mean brain dysfunction) but increase the risk of making false-negative errors (not identifying mild dysfunction when it is present).
To what extent will scores be variable in individuals with high or low IQ?
Patients with lower IQ will have less variability across scores. Patients with higher IQ will have more variability across scores.
What considerations should you have in mind when using geriatric norms or interpreting scores for geriatrics?
- Consider effects of polypharmacy and increasing sensitivity to medication effects.
- Normative data for elderly samples may be more restricted, with much smaller cell sizes, particularly for minorities.
What model is typically used when interpreting scores?
The deficit measurement model. In which current performances on measures of npsych functions are compared against a comparison standard to determine if a change has occurred. The discrepancy between the obtained score and the comparison standard provides a basis for asserting that a deficit is present. The same approach can be used for determining giftedness (in opposite direction).
Which age ranges are appropriate for MMPI-2 use and at least what reading level is needed?
Can be administered to ages 18-84. Reading level needs to be at the 5th grade level or higher.
Of note, the MMPI-2-RF can be administered to 18-85 year olds, and requires at least 5th grade reading level. Unlike the MMPI-2, the MMPI-2-RF uses non-gender based norms.
