Questions and Answers
What is assessment?
Which of the following are types of assessment tools? (Select all that apply)
What are characteristics of good assessments?
Reliable, valid, and standardized.
What is a clinical interview?
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Structured interviews allow for flexible questioning.
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What is the purpose of a mental status exam?
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What does the Mini-mental status exam assess?
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An IQ below 70 is considered normal.
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What is the purpose of intelligence testing?
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What are neuropsych tests used for?
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What are psychophysiological tests used for?
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Self-report inventories can sometimes lack accuracy.
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Match the following tests to their descriptions:
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The __________ describes criteria for diagnosing mental disorders according to symptoms.
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What change occurred from DSM-IV to DSM-V?
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What does prevalence measure?
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A diagnosis is meant to guide treatment.
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What are some problems with using DSM?
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What are culture bound syndromes?
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Study Notes
Assessment Overview
- Psychological assessment focuses on collecting idiographic information about individuals.
- Clinical assessments identify abnormal behaviors, thoughts, and feelings, informing diagnosis and treatment.
Types of Assessment Tools
- Clinical interviews
- Mental status exams
- Standardized cognitive tests
- Personality tests/questionnaires
- Projective tests
- Clinical/behavioral observations
Characteristics of Good Assessments
- Reliability ensures consistency of test results through test-retest and inter-rater methods.
- Validity assesses whether the test measures intended constructs.
- Standardization enables comparison with normative data.
Clinical Interviews
- In-depth, face-to-face encounters designed to gather detailed personal information.
- Can be structured (following specific guidelines) or unstructured (freeform conversations).
- Structured interviews align with DSM symptoms.
Structured Interviews
- Require verbatim questioning and standardized scoring.
- Interviewers must be trained and familiar with the questions.
- Examples include SCID and K-SADS.
Limitations of Clinical Interviews
- Potential biases from interviewers can affect outcomes.
- Types of questions may direct the information gathered.
- Responses may vary, resulting in reliability issues.
- Clients might feel uncomfortable sharing sensitive information.
Mental Status Exam
- Primarily used in primary care to assess overall functioning, often for conditions such as dementia or psychosis.
- Mini mental status examination provides a brief, structured assessment focusing on cognitive abilities.
Mini-Mental Status Exam Components
- Clarity of thought processes
- Orientation (person, place, time)
- Memory
- Attention and calculation
- Language abilities
- Visuo-spatial skills
Standard Cognitive Tasks: Intelligence Tests
- Assess both verbal and nonverbal functioning through standardized tasks.
- IQ scores range from 50 to 150; below 70 indicates deficiency, above 130 indicates giftedness.
Intelligence Testing Applications
- Used alongside other data for diagnosing various conditions such as intellectual disabilities and learning disabilities.
- Also applied in assessing neuropsychological disorders like TBI and dementia.
Practical Intelligence
- Focuses on practical knowledge and creative thinking.
Neuropsychological Tests
- Directly assess brain functioning using methods like MRI and EEG.
- Indirectly measure cognitive abilities through standardized tests such as Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test and Stroop Test.
Psychophysiological Tests
- Measure physiological responses to identify psychological issues.
- Common tools include polygraphs and biofeedback measures.
Limitations of Cognitive Tests
- Require significant time and expense for administration and interpretation.
- Need specialized training for administration.
- May not relate well to real-world challenges faced by individuals.
Personality and Clinical Tests
- Gather information on behaviors and clinical symptoms.
- Personality inventories assess a wide range of behavioral characteristics.
- Clinical inventories focus on specific issues like depression or anxiety.
Screening Tests
- Efficient tools used for initial assessments, identifying individuals needing further evaluation based on clinical cutoffs.
- Must exhibit reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity.
Limitations of Self-Report Inventories
- Respondent accuracy is an issue due to unawareness, unwillingness, or external influences on reporting.
- Memory biases and malingered responses can affect outcomes.
Projective Tests
- Involve vague stimuli allowing individuals to project thoughts/issues.
- Commonly used in psychodynamic assessment settings with tools like Rorschach Inkblots.
Limitations of Projective Tests
- Administering these tests is time-consuming, and their validity is often questioned.
- Reliance on the projection assumption lacks empirical support.
Clinical Observations
- Involve systematic observation of behavior in naturalistic and analog settings.
- Self-monitoring entails individuals documenting their own behaviors and feelings.
Limitations of Clinical Observations
- Context influences naturalistic observations; validity may depend on the observer's perspective.
- Analog settings might not accurately reflect real-world situations.
- The Hawthorne effect can alter a person's behavior when being observed.
Assessment Conclusions
- No universally accepted assessment method exists; approaches vary based on profession and client needs.
- Multi-tool assessments yield the best insights into an individual’s condition.
Clinical Diagnosis Process
- Clinicians create a "clinical picture" based on assessment data, aligning it with DSM-V disorders.
DSM-V
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, latest edition published in 2013, includes over 400 disorders.
- Defines diagnostic criteria detailing required frequency of behaviors.
Changes from DSM-IV
- The DSM-IV utilized a multi-axis system, no longer in use in DSM-V.
Prevalence, Incidence, and Comorbidity
- Prevalence measures the total number of cases of a disorder in a given timeframe.
- Incidence refers to new cases within a year.
- Comorbidity describes individuals with multiple disorders.
Purpose of Diagnosis
- Aids treatment planning and facilitates communication among providers.
- Enhances patient understanding of their condition and prognosis.
Problems Encountered with DSM Usage
- Diagnoses may not fit neatly into categories; reliability issues arise with overlapping disorders.
- Some diagnoses are considered controversial or influenced by cultural biases.
Cultural Considerations in Diagnosis
- Culture-bound syndromes represent behaviors specific to certain regions.
- Cultural differences can affect symptom expression and understanding.
- Globalization has broadened the influence of DSM in various contexts.
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Description
This quiz covers key concepts related to psychological assessment and its various tools. Learn about the definitions, types of assessments, and their importance in clinical settings. Perfect for students in psychology or related fields.
