what clinical psychologists do Flashcards
what is psychological assessment
involves a series of steps, beginning with a problem or referral and ending with psychologist communicating results with the appropriate parties
clinician must make number of judgements, such as instruments to use and how best to convert clinical assessment data into clinical judgement
what are the primary types of assessment
clinical interview
assessment of intellectual or other domains of functioning, such as IQ or memory
personality assessment
behavioural assessment
psychological tests broken down
- intelligence tests
- personality tests
- attitude tests
- achievement/attainment tests
- aptitude tests
- neuropsychological tests
- vocational tests
- direct observation tests
psychological tests - norm-referenced tests
can involve the use of formal questionnaires or checklists
ca be described as norm referenced tests, meaning the tests have been standardised so that test takers are evaluated in a similar way, no matter where they live or who administers the test
steps for assessment
- the question
- asking questions/gathering data
- processing the info/data and forming conclusions
- communicating assessment results
assessment process outline
- series of steps, beginning with a referral question
- clinician must ensure the question is clear, and select the best assessment type
- gather data from range of sources, including historical, interviews, observations and tests
- integration of all information from sources results in a coherent assessment
- clinician communicates conclusion and provides recommendations
the question
question being asked will lead to the type of assessment and indicate if any tests are needed
clarifying referral question is needed before assessment
if its a broad question, a more open clinical assessment would be indicated
if the question is more specific, such as does the individual have a learning
disability, then a targeted assessment with test(s) would be needed
aims of clinical assessment
For some it would include diagnostic classification – always includes a
formulation.
Treatment planning – if treatment is required and would be based upon
the formulation.
Forming a clinical judgement based upon the information/data that is
gathered.
assessment - what is a clinical interview and what are the aims
To obtain relevant information and arrive at a decision, such as a diagnosis
and/or intervention required.
To cover specific content areas, that can include developmental history,
history of the presenting problem (frequency and level of acuity), current
risk concerns, things that have worked or not worked in the past in terms
of therapeutic/professional support.
Usually takes place in one or two sessions.
Any longer becomes an extended assessment.
clinical tools that can aid with assessments
Genograms
Timeline
Rating scales – including techniques such as an anger
thermometer
Screening questionnaires
observations
can be part of a session or more formal process
When conducting a more formal assessment using one of the tests part of the assessment is to observe how the individual interacts, behaves and engages in the process.
Observations Can form the main body of an assessment when utilising the Antecedent, Behaviour and Consequent (ABC) assessment technique/tool
ABC three term contingency
antecedent - what happens before the behaviour
behaviour
consequences - what happens after behaviour
intelligence tests - David wechsler
developed standardised intelligence assessments
currently widely used intelligence and memory tests
wechsler adult inelligence scale
wechsler intelligence scale for children
what is the wechsler adult intelligence scale
IQ test
16-90 years old
takes 45-65 mins to administer
four index scores:
- verbal comprehension
- perceptual reasoning
- working memory
- processing speed
what is the wechsler intelligence scale for children
6-16 years old
takes 45-65 mins
five index scores:
- verbal comprehension index
- visual spatial index
- fluid reasoning index
- working memory index
- processing index
what is VOSP
visual, object and spacial perception
made up of 8 subtests
