question

Clinical Assessment

answer

clinical assessment the process of gathering information about a person and his or her environment to make decisions about the nature, status, and treatment of psychological problems.

question

Screening

answer

An assessment process that attempts to identify psychological problems or predict the risk of future problems among people who are not referred for clinical assessment.

question

AUDIT Screening Tool

answer

A 10-item screen can quickly identify substance abuse problems (known as Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test)

question

Sensitivity

answer

Describes the ability of the screener (or the instrument) to identify a problem that actually exists.

question

Specificity

answer

Indicates the percent of the time that the screener accurately identifies the absence of a problem (e.g., the cutoff score suggests no depression, and the patient truly is not depressed).

question

False Positives

answer

Occur when a screening tool indicates a problem when no problem exists (exceeds cutoff score but there is no problem).

question

False Negatives

answer

Occur when a screening tool indicates there is no (depression etc) when there actually is.

question

Qualities of a good screening tool

answer

Sensitive and specific: It identifies problems that do exist and does not indicate problems when none exist.

question

Diagnosis

answer

The identification of an illness.

question

differential diagnosis

answer

A process in which a clinician weighs how likely it is that a person has one diagnosis instead of another.

question

What is used to make a psychological diagnosis?

answer

A clinical assessment that leads to a diagnosis usually includes the evaluation of symptom and disorder severity, patterns of symptoms over time (number, frequency, and duration of episodes), and the patient's strengths and weaknesses. The assessment may also include the results from personality tests, neuropsychological tests, and/or a behavioral assessment.

question

Diagnostic assessments

answer

Are more extensive than screens and are designed to provide a more thorough understanding of a person's psychological status.

question

How is a diagnosis beneficial?

answer

It facilitates communication across clinicians and researchers, is critical for planning appropriate treatment, and is often needed for insurance companies to reimburse a psychologist or other health care provider.

question

What is a functional analysis of symptoms and who uses it?

answer

Behavioral psychologists use a functional analysis to identify the relations between situations and behaviors (what happens before, during, and after certain problem behaviors, moods, or thoughts) to aid in devising a treatment strategy.

question

What is an Outcome Evaluation?

answer

A repeat assessment at the end of treatment using the same measures used throughout treatment in order to determine whether the patient is getting better or if treatment is completed. (measure of change, functionality)

question

Clinical Significance

answer

An observed change that is meaningful in terms of clinical functioning. (example: Reliable Change Index)

question

Psychometric Properties

answer

An instrument's psychometric properties used to dtermine it's value include standardization, reliability, and validity.

question

What is Standardization?

answer

Standard ways of evaluating scores which can involve normative or self-referent comparisons (or both).

question

What is a Normative comparison?

answer

Normative comparisons require comparing a person's score with the scores of a sample of people who are representative of the entire population (with regard to characteristics such as age, sex, ethnicity, education, and geographic region) or with the scores of a subgroup who are similar to the patient being assessed.

question

How is Standard Deviation used?

answer

SD is a measure that tells us how far away from the mean (average) a particular score is. A score that is more than 2 SDs away from the mean is found in only 5% of the population and is considered meaningfully different from what is normal.

question

What are Self-referent comparisons?

answer

Self-referent comparisons are those that equate responses on various instruments with the patient's own prior performance, and they are used most often to examine the course of symptoms over time. (normal temperature, scores on tests).

question

reliability

answer

the extent to which a test produces similar scores over time when given to the same individual(s)

question

test-retest reliability

answer

the extent to which a psychological assessment instrument produces consistent results each time it is given (measured by a correlation coefficient - Correlations of .80 or higher indicate that a measure is highly reliable over time).

question

interrater agreement

answer

the amount of agreement between two clinicians who are using the same measure to rate the same symptoms in a single patient (prevents diagnosis based on clinician bias)

question

validity

answer

Validity refers to the degree to which a test measures what it was intended to assess.

question

Criterion validity

answer

assesses how well a measure correlates with other measures that assess the same or similar constructs

question

concurrent validity

answer

One type of criterion validity, assesses the relationship between two measures that are given at the same time, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing Program (ACT).

question

construct validity

answer

Construct validity reflects how well a measure accurately assesses a particular concept, not other concepts that may be related.

question

Predictive validity

answer

refers to the ability of a measure to predict performance at a future date, such as the ability of the SAT to predict performance in college.

question

Statistical prediction

answer

Statistical prediction results when a clinician uses data from large groups of people to make a judgment about a specific individual.It has been proven to be more accurate than a clinical prediction.

question

Clinical prediction

answer

Is a prediction based on the clinicians judgement-it is less accurate than a statistical prediction. It is useful when relevant statistical data do not exist and when new hypotheses need to be developed.

question

What is one of the most important factors the guide a clinician's choice of assessment techniques and instruments?

answer

Probably the most important factors are patient's age and developmental status but cultural factors are also important.

question

According to the American Psychological Association Code of Ethics, Psychologists must adhere to section 9 when administering tests:

answer

That psychologists only use tests on which they have received training, have good reliability and validity and are appropriate for the purpose of the examination. Tests must also not be outdated.

question

Informed Consent

answer

Informed consent indicates that the person to be tested understands the test's purpose, its related fees, and who will see the results.

question

unstructured interview

answer

the clinician decides what questions to ask and how to ask them

question

Clinical Interview

answer

a conversation between an interviewer and a patient whose purpose is to gather information and make judgments related to assessment goals.

question

Self-report measures

answer

Patient is asked to rate their own symptoms

question

Clinician-rated measures

answer

Clinician rates the symptoms

question

Subjective responses

answer

What the patient perceives

question

Objective responses

answer

what can be observed

question

Test Battery

answer

group of tests given together

question

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

answer

567 item personality test developed using empirical keying by Hathaway and McKinnley in 1943, it is very long and was based on a white population.

question

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)

answer

175-item true-false inventory that corresponds to eight basic personality styles, three pathological personality syndromes, and nine symptom disorders scales. It has reliability and validity & is shorter than MMPI, but does not match well the categories of disorders as they are described in the DSM & may be culturally biased.

question

Selection of assessment tools is largely determined by the patient's symptoms, age, and medical status. One other factor may be the

answer

Culture

question

Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF)

answer

A rating assigned by a clinician to describe a patient's overall functioning and well-being. The clinician chooses a number on a scale from 0 to 100 to indicate how well the patient is functioning. The rating includes consideration of both symptom severity and level of impairment in social relationships and job or school performance. Comparing GAF scores can serve as a broad indicator of clinical improvement.

question

General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)

answer

GHQ is a 12 item rating score that gives a snapshot of mental health status over the previous weeks and can provide a meaningful change score. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale indicating degree of deviation from the individual's usual experience.

question

Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery

answer

widely used to evaluate the presence of brain damage. The battery differentiates healthy individuals from those with cortical damage and includes 10 measures of memory, abstract thought, language, sensory-motor integration, perceptions, and motor dexterity.

question

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

answer

Involves card shifting and the ability to use flexible thinking-individuals with frontal lobe lesions do poorly on it. Because it discriminates between frontal and nonfrontal lesions, it is useful for testing patients with schizophrenia, brain injuries, and neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia or Parkinson's disease.

question

Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test

answer

A simple screening tool often used to detect problems in visual-motor development in children and general brain damage and neurological impairment-patients copy figures on paper.

question

Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery

answer

The Luria-Nebraska is similar to the Halstead-Reitan test but is a more precise measure of organic brain damage. It uses an unstructured qualitative method, generating 14 scores includ- ing motor, rhythm, tactile, expressive speech, writing, reading, arithmetic, memory, intellectual processes, and left and right hemispheric function.

question

Stanford-Binet

answer

the widely used American revision (by Terman at Stanford University) of Binet's original intelligence test

question

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV)

answer

*Adult Age 16-90 yrs. *General Intellectual Functioning/Cognition and IQ: *Working memory tests for learning difficulties *Working memory, processing speed, attention, verbal comprehension index.

question

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV)

answer

a test for children that provides separate measures of verbal and performance (nonverbal) skills, as well as a total score (6-16 yrs)

question

Wechsler Preschool and PrimaryScale of Intelligence (WPPS-III)

answer

Intelligence scale used for children ages 2-7

question

Crticisms of IQ tests

answer

Many argue that because intelligence tests are standardized primarily on white male populations, they are inappropriate for women, ethnic minorities, non-English speakers, and people who are physically challenged.

question

Rorschach Inkblot Test

answer

the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots

question

Thematic Apperception Test

answer

a projective technique using black-and-white pictures on 31 cards, a projective personality test in which respondents reveal underlying motives, concerns, and the way they see the social world through the stories they make up about ambiguous pictures of people

question

Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale

answer

Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale is used to assess the effectiveness of treatment interventions for many psychopathologies, not in making diagnosis. It includes 18 items that address somatic concern, anxiety, emotional withdrawal, conceptual disorganization, guilt feelings, tension, mannerisms and posturing, grandiosity, depressive mood, hostility, suspiciousness, hallucinatory behaviors, motor retardation, uncooperativeness, unusual thought content, blunted affect, excitement, and disorientation

question

Beck Depression Inventory

answer

measurement of the presence and depth of depression -Method: 1) administered by interview or completed as a questionnaire by the individual 2) the individual rates his/her feelings relative to 21 characteristics associated with depression, items are scored as o to 3, with 3 being the most severe; a score greater than 21 indicates severe depression, used for adolescents and adults

question

Beck Anxiety Inventory

answer

This self-report test is designed to help you pinpoint the difference between depression and anxiety. Other instruments didn't adequately discriminate depression from anxiety. Scoring is asking what is wrong with the patient on a scale of 0 to 3 on a 4-point scale out of a list of 21 items. Uses include in determining anxiety in the setting of a clinic or for research.

question

Behavioral Assessment

answer

a form of assessment that involves a full range of inquiry methods (observation, interview, testing, and the systematic manipulation of antecedent or consequence variables) to identity probable antecedent and consequent controlling variables.

question

Self-Monitoring

answer

A procedure whereby a person systematically observes his behavior and records the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a target behavior. It allows real-time information about frequency, duration and nature of symptoms and increases patient awareness.

question

Interval recording

answer

divide observation period (e.g. 10 minutes) into a number of equal time intervals, usually ranging from 5 sec to 30 sec. Then the observer notes whether or not the defined behavior occurred during each interval. Interval length should be such that a behavior typically occurs only once in each interval

question

Event Recording

answer

measurement procedure for obtaining a tally or count of the number of times a behavior occurs

question

analogue observation

answer

In contrast to naturalistic direct observation, a type of behavioral observation that typically takes place in the clinic room, where the real life situation is stimulated

question

actigraphy

answer

monitoring of body movement through a small monitor worn on the wrist, activity is used as a proxy for measuring sleep and wakefulness

question

behavior avoidance test

answer

the behavioral assessment strategy used to assess avoidance behavior by asking a patient to approach a feared situation as closely as possible

question

psychophysiological assessment

answer

the evaluation strategies that measure brain structure, brain function, and nervous system activity

question

EEG

answer

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. EEGs are useful tools for monitoring and diagnosing certain clinical conditions, such as a coma state and brain death, and for monitoring brain function while under anesthesia

question

Event-related potential

answer

This is the measured brain response that resulting from a sensory, cognitive, or motor event

question

NREM-1

answer

Lightest level of sleep Lasts a few minutes Decreased physiological activity beginning with a gradual fall in vital signs and metabolism Person easily aroused by sensory stimuli such as noise

question

NREM-2

answer

Sound Sleep Progressive Relaxation Arousal Fairly Easy 10-20 Minutes Continued Slowing of Body Functions

question

NREM-3

answer

Deepest stage of sleeps, brain emits large, slow delta waves, and you are hard to awaken. During this stage, sleepwalking (somnambulism) and sleeptalking (somniloquy) occur, as well as night terrors and nocturnal enuresis

question

Electrodermal Activity (EDA)

answer

Skin Conductance detected by applying small amount of electricity to palm bc water (sweat) conducts electricity (more water on skin the more skin conducts electricity). Measures sympathetic nervous system activity.

question

biofeedback .

answer

A clinical technique used to help a person learn to relax by monitoring muscle tension, heart rate, brainwave activity, or other body activities. A vivid illustration of how feelings and emotions affect bodily functions and how changing emotional states can directly affect physical functioning

question

Clinical biofeedback

answer

using specially designed machines to amplify/display various body signals (e.g., heart rate, muscles tension, skin response, etc.) and their intensity

question

DSM

answer

the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders (categorical classification system)

question

Axis I

answer

All clinical disorders EXCEPT personality disorders and mental retardation

question

Axis II

answer

Personality disorders and mental retardation

question

Axis III

answer

any physical disorder or general medical condition that is present in addition to the mental disorder

question

Axis IV

answer

Psychosocial and environmental problems.

question

Axis V

answer

Global Assessment of Function (GAF) 0-100 DSMIV category for the rating of patients current behavior: 1= can't function and 100= functioning well

question

ICD (International classification of diseases and related health problems)

answer

a classification system for mental disorders developed in Europe that is an international standard diagnostic system for epidemiology and many health management purposes

question

Culture Bound Syndromes

answer

a cluster of symptoms that is considered a recognizable disease only within a specific culture or society

question

When is the diagnostic system harmful?

answer

*not all people with the same diagnosis experience the same symptoms *most diagnostic classifications do not require that the symptoms be connected to a particular etiology (cause) *different patients with the same disorder may have developed the symptoms in different ways *two people who have the same diagnosis do not necessarily respond to the same treatments. *It can cause stereotyping and stigma *Self-fullfilling prophecies *Discrimination

question

Dimensional Classification System

answer

abnormal behavior/disorders are a product of severity on a variety of dimensions, benefit is that a patient would not have to necessarily have ALL characteristics ISSUES: we need some kind of statistical cut-offs but we are not there yet

question

Selection of assessment tools is largely determined by the patient's symptoms, age, and medical status. One other factor may be the:

answer

therapist's theoretical perspective

question

Physicians and other practitioners may choose to give new patients a screening assessment, which is:

answer

a brief measure in which a cutoff score indicates the pos- sibility of significant problems

question

With psychological disorders, the diagnosis given is primarily based on:

answer

A cluster of symptoms

question

Diagnosis is important to physicians and psychologists because it facilitates

answer

treatment planning, communication across clinicians and researchers, understanding

question

A measure of clinical significance tells us that

answer

And observed change in a patient is meaningful improvement

question

Comparing a person's score on a psychological test to the average scores obtained on that test from a large representative sample of people is

answer

normative comparison

question

After an interview, a psychiatrist rates Jim's depression as severe. The next day a clinical psychologist also conducts an interview and rates Jim's depression as severe. The two clinicians are demonstrating

answer

interrater agreement

question

Dr. Smith develops the Smith Depression Inventory and gives it to hundreds of patients with depression. He also gives those patients the widely used Beck Depression Inventory. He finds that the average scores on the two questionnaires are highly correlated. Dr. Smith has demonstrated that the Smith Depression Inventory has

answer

concurrent validity

question

A test publisher describes a psychological test as having extremely high predictive validity. This means the test

answer

has the ability to forecast particular outcomes

question

Administering psychological tests to someone from another country may produce biased results if which of the following is not considered?

answer

the language in which the test was written the education of the person taking the test cultural beliefs and values of the person taking the test

question

Compared with unstructured interviews, structured interviews have several advantages including

answer

increased reliability

question

Susan was sent to a neuropsychologist after a car accident left her having trouble concentrating and remembering things. The neuropsychologist gave her a battery of 10 measures assessing memory, abstract thought, language, sensory-motor integration, perceptions, and motor dexterity.This test battery is called the

answer

Halstead-Reitan

question

Although intelligence tests are controversial, they are useful in assessing

answer

prediction of academic success

question

Sally suffers from an eating disorder. The psychologist asked her to keep a diary and record what she eats, when she eats something, where she is when she eats, and what she is feel- ing right before, during, and after she eats. This is called

answer

self-monitoring

question

A patient has an extreme spider phobia. He is taken to a room with a cage of spiders against the opposite wall. He is asked to walk as close to the cage as he can. He takes two steps toward the cage and says he cannot go any closer. The psychologist measures the distance on the floor from the patient's feet to the cage. This is a

answer

behavior avoidance test

question

The great advantage of the electroencephalogram (EEG) is that it

answer

is the only measure that directly assesses electrical activity in the brain

question

The primary classification system used in the United States and published by the American Psychiatric Association is the

answer

DSM

question

Psychosocial or environmental problems that may impact the patient's behavior or functioning is recorded on which of the following dimensions?

answer

Axis IV

question

The purpose of the multiaxial system is to

answer

offer more information about patients than a clinical diagnosis alone

question

Dimensional classification is an alternative to categorical systems such as the DSM. One advantage of a dimensional system is

answer

a better description of patients whose problems do not fit into a single category

Abnormal Psychology: Chapter 3 – Assessment & Diagnosis – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards