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clinical assessment

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Systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors in a person presenting with a possible psychological disorder.

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diagnosis

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Process of determining whether a presenting problem meets the established criteria for a specific psychological disorder.

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reliability

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Degree to which a measurement is consistent—for example, over time or among different raters.

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validity

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Degree to which a technique measures what it purports to measure.

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standardization

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Process of establishing specific norms and requirements for a measurement technique to ensure it is used consistently across measurement occasions. This includes instructions for administering the measure, evaluating its findings, and comparing these to data for large numbers of people.

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mental status exam

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Relatively coarse preliminary test of a client's judgment, orientation to time and place, and emotional and mental state; typically conducted during an initial interview.

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behavioral assessment

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Measuring, observing, and systematically evaluating (rather than inferring) the client's thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the actual problem situation or context.

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self-monitoring

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The action by which clients observe and record their own behaviors as either an assessment of a problem and its change or a treatment procedure that makes them more aware of their responses. Also known as self-observation.

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projective tests

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Psychoanalytically based measure that presents ambiguous stimuli to clients on the assumption that their responses can reveal their unconscious confl icts. Such tests are inferential and lack high reliability and validity.

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personality inventories

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Self-report questionnaire that assesses personal traits by asking respondents to identify descriptions that apply to themselves.

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intelligence quotient (IQ)

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Score on an intelligence test estimating a person's deviation from average test performance.

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neuropsychological testing

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Assessment of brain and nervous system functioning by testing an individual's performance on behavioral tasks.

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false positive

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Assessment error in which pathology is reported (that is, test results are positive) when none is actually present.

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false negative

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Assessment error in which no pathology is noted (that is, test results are negative) when one is actually present.

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neuroimaging

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Sophisticated computer-aided procedure that allows nonintrusive examination of nervous system structure and function.

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psychophysiological assessment

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Measurement of changes in the nervous system refl ecting psychological or emotional events such as anxiety, stress, and sexual arousal.

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electroencephalogram (EEG)

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Measure of electrical activity patterns in the brain, taken through electrodes placed on the scalp.

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idiographic strategy

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A close and detailed investigation of an individual emphasizing what makes that person unique.

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nomothetic strategy

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Identification and examination of large groups of people with the same disorder to note similarities and develop general laws.

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classification

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Assignment of objects or people to categories on the basis of shared characteristics.

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taxonomy

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System of naming and classification (for example, of specimens) in science.

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nosology

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Classification and naming system for medical and psychological phenomena.

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nomenclature

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In a naming system or nosology, the actual labels or names that are applied. In psychopathology, these include mood disorders and eating disorders.

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classical categorical approach

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Classification method founded on the assumption of clear-cut differences among disorders, each with a different known cause. Also known as pure categorical approach.

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dimensional approach

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Method of categorizing characteristics on a continuum rather than on a binary, either-or, or all-or-none basis.

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prototypical approach

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System for categorizing disorders using both essential, defi ning characteristics and a range of variation on other characteristics.

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familial aggregation

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The extent to which a disorder would be found among a patient's relatives.

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comorbidity

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Presence of two or more disorders in an individual at the same time.

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labeling

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Applying a name to a phenomenon or a pattern of behavior. The label may acquire negative connotations or be applied erroneously to the person rather than that person's behaviors.

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hypothesis

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Educated guess or statement to be tested by research.

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research design

answer

Plan of experimentation used to test a hypothesis.

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dependent variable

answer

In an experimental study, the phenomenon that is measured and expected to be influenced (compare with independent variable).

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independent variable

answer

Phenomenon manipulated by the experimenter in a study and expected to influence the dependent variable.

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internal validity

answer

Extent to which the results of a study can be attributed to the independent variable after confounding alternative explanations have been ruled out.

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external validity

answer

Extent to which research findings generalize, or apply, to people and settings not involved in the study.

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testability

answer

Ability of a hypothesis, for example, to be subjected to scientific scrutiny and to be accepted or rejected, a necessary condition for the hypothesis to be useful.

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confound

answer

Any factor occurring in a study that makes the results uninterpretable because its effects cannot be separated from those of the variables being studied.

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confounding variable

answer

Variable in a research study that was not part of the intended design and that may contribute to changes in the dependent variable.

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control group

answer

Group of individuals in a study who are similar to the experimental subjects in every way but are not exposed to the treatment received by the experimental group. Their presence allows for a comparison of the differential effects of the treatment.

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randomization

answer

Method for placing individuals into research groups that assures each an equal chance of being assigned to any group, thus eliminating any systematic differences across groups.

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analogue model

answer

Approach to research that employs subjects who are similar to clinical clients, allowing replication of a clinical problem under controlled conditions.

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generalizability

answer

Extent to which research results apply to a range of individuals not included in the study.

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statistical significance

answer

Small probability of obtaining the observed research findings by chance.

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clinical significance

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Degree to which research findings have useful and meaningful applications to real problems.

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effect size

answer

A statistical process that estimates how large a change in measures occurred. Often used before and after a clinical treatment to determine its relative success.

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patient uniformity myth

answer

Tendency to consider all members of a category as more similar than they are, ignoring their individual differences.

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case study method

answer

Research procedure in which a single person or small group is studied in detail. The method does not allow conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships, and findings can be generalized only with great caution

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correlation

answer

Degree to which two variables are associated. In a positive correlation, the two variables increase or decrease together. In a negative correlation, one variable decreases as the other increases.

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positive correlation

answer

Association between two variables in which one increases as the other increases.

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correlation coefficient

answer

Computed statistic reflecting the strength and direction of any association between two variables. It can range from 21.00 through 0.00 (indicating no association) to 11.00, with the absolute value indicating the strength and the sign reflecting the direction.

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negative correlation

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Association between two variables in which one increases as the other decreases.

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directionality

answer

Possibility that when two variables, A and B, are correlated variable A causes variable B or variable B causes variable A.

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epidemiology

answer

Psychopathology research method examining the prevalence, distribution, and consequences of disorders in populations.

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experiment

answer

Research method that can establish causation by manipulating the variables in question and controlling for alternative explanations of any observed effects.

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placebo effect

answer

Behavior change resulting from the person's expectation of change rather than from the experimental manipulation itself.

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placebo control group

answer

In outcome research, a control group that does not receive the experimental manipulation but is given a similar procedure with an identical expectation of change, allowing the researcher to assess any placebo effect.

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double-blind control

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- Procedure in outcome research that prevents bias by ensuring that neither the subjects nor the providers of the experimental treatment know who is receiving treatment and who is receiving a placebo.

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comparative treatment research

answer

- Outcome research that contrasts two or more treatment methods to determine which is most effective.

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single-case experimental design

answer

- Research tactic in which an independent variable is manipulated for a single individual, allowing cause and-effect conclusions but with limited generalizability

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repeated measurement

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- When responses are measured on more than two occasions (not just before and after intervention) to assess trends.

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variability

answer

- Degree of change in a phenomenon over time trend Direction of change of a behavior or behaviors (for example, increasing or decreasing). level Degree of behavior change with different interventions (for example, high or low).

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trend

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- Direction of change of a behavior or behaviors (for example, increasing or decreasing).

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level

answer

- Degree of behavior change with different interventions (for example, high or low).

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withdrawal design

answer

- Removing a treatment to note whether it has been effective. In single-case experimental designs, a behavior is measured (baseline), an independent variable is introduced (intervention), and then the intervention is withdrawn. Because the behavior continues to be measured throughout (repeated measurement), any effects of the intervention can be noted.

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baseline

answer

- Measured rate of a behavior before introduction of an intervention that allows comparison and assessment of the effects of the intervention.

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multiple baseline

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- Single-case experimental design in which measures are taken on two or more behaviors or on a single behavior in two or more situations. A particular intervention is introduced for each at different times. If behavior change is coincident with each introduction, this is strong evidence the intervention caused the change.

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phenotype

answer

- Observable characteristics or behaviors of an individual.

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genotype

answer

- Specific genetic makeup of an individual.

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human genome project

answer

- Ongoing scientific attempt to develop a comprehensive map of all human genes.

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family studies

answer

- Genetic study that examines patterns of traits and behaviors among relatives.

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proband

answer

- In genetics research, the individual displaying the trait or characteristic being studied.

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adoption studies

answer

- In genetics research, the study of first-degree relatives reared in different families and environments. If they share common characteristics, such as a disorder, this finding suggests that those characteristics have a genetic component.

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twin studies

answer

- In genetics research, the comparison of twins with unrelated or less closely related individuals. If twins, particularly monozygotic twins who share identical genotypes, share common characteristics such as a disorder, even if they were reared in different environments, then strong evidence of genetic involvement in those characteristics exists.

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genetic linkage analysis

answer

- Study that seeks to match the inheritance pattern of a disorder to that of a genetic marker. This helps researchers establish the location of the gene responsible for the disorder.

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genetic marker

answer

- Inherited characteristic for which the chromosomal location of the responsible gene is known.

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association studies

answer

Research strategy for comparing genetic markers in groups of people with and without a particular disorder.

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cross-sectional design

answer

Methodology to examine a characteristic by comparing individuals of different ages (contrast with longitudinal design).

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cohort

answer

Participants in each age group of a study with a cross sectional design

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cohort effect

answer

Observation that people of different age groups differ in their values and experiences.

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retrospective information

answer

Literally "the view back"; data collected by examining records or recollections of the past. It is limited by the accuracy, validity, and thoroughness of the sources.

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longitudinal design

answer

Systematic study of changes in the same individual or group examined over time (contrast with cross-sectional design).

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cross-generational effect

answer

Limit on the generalizability of longitudinal research because the group under study may differ from others in culture and experience.

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sequential design

answer

Combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs involving repeated study of different cohorts over time.

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informed consent

answer

Ethical requirement whereby research subjects agree to participate in a study only after they receive full disclosure about the nature of the study and their own role in it.

Essentials of Abnormal Psychology, chapter 3 – Flashcards

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