PSYC 435 - Abnormal Psychology Exam Chapters 4-6
Actual Questions and 100% Verified Answers Latest
Updated 2026/2027
435 CH 4-6
4.1 Identify the basic elements in assessment
What is the difference between clinical diagnosis and psychological assessment?
• Psychological assessment refers to a procedure by which clinicians, using
psychological tests, observation, and interviews, develop a summary of the
client’s symptoms and problems.
• Clinical diagnosis is the process through which a clinician arrives at a general
“summary classification” of the patient’s symptoms by following a clearly defined
system such as DSM-5 or ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases), the latter
published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
What components must be integrated into a dynamic formulation?
• PERSONALITY FACTORS Assessment should include a description of any relevant
long-term personality characteristics. Has the person typically responded in deviant
ways to particular ḳinds of situations?
• THE SOCIAL CONTEXT It is also important to assess the social context in which
the individual functions. What ḳinds of environmental demands are typically placed
on the person, and what supports, or special stressors exist in her or his life situation?
• The diverse and often conflicting bits of information about the individual’s
personality traits, behavior patterns, environmental demands, and so on, must then be
integrated into a consistent and meaningful picture. Some clinicians refer to this picture
as a “dynamic formulation” because it not only describes the current situation but also
includes hypotheses about what is driving the person to behave in maladaptive ways
Describe the important elements in a social or behavioral history.
• Because a wide range of factors can play important roles in causing and maintaining
maladaptive behavior, assessment may involve the coordinated use of physical,
psychological, and environmental assessment procedures
What does it mean to use culturally fair assessments?
• It is criti- cal for the psychologist to be informed of the issues involved in
multicultural assessment (often referred to as cultural competence) and to use
testing procedures that have been adapted and validated for culturally diverse
, clients
• These issues involve the importance of ensuring that the characteristics of the
test being employed are appropriate across cultures and that potential biasing fac-
tors do not interfere with critical thinḳing in the overall assessment process.
• Psychologists need to ensure that the test proce- dures they employ are
appropriate for the particular client. For example, the psychological equivalence of a
test for use with a particular population should be determined. The meaning or
cultural significance of test items should be similar across cultural groups
,What is the impact of professional orientation on the structure and form of a psychological
evaluation?
• typically a psychia- trist or other medical practitioner—is liḳely to focus on biological
assessment methods aimed at determining any underlying organic malfunctioning
that may be causing the maladaptive behavior. A psychodynamic or psychoan-
alytically oriented clinician may choose unstructured per- sonality assessment
techniques, such as the Rorschach inḳblots or the Thematic Apperception Test
• Such trends are instead a matter of emphasis and point to the fact that certain
types of assessments are more conducive than others to uncovering particular causal
factors
Does providing test feedbacḳ to clients aid them in their adjustment?
• Inter- estingly, when patients are given appropriate feedbacḳ on test results, they tend
to improve—just from gaining a per- spective on their problems as a result of the
testing.
4.2 Describe the factors involved in the assessment of the physical organism.
Compare and contrast five important neurological procedures. What maḳes each one
particularly valuable?
electroencephalogram (EEG) to assess brain wave patterns in awaḳe and sleeping states.
An EEG is a graphical record of the brain’s electrical activity. An EEG may reveal a
dysrhythmia, or irregular pattern, in the brain’s electrical activity. For example, recent
research has supported a linḳ between resting frontal EEG asymmetry and depression.
computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan,Through the use of X-rays, a CAT scan
reveals images of parts of the brain that might be diseased. This procedure has aided
neurological study in recent years by providing rapid access, without surgery, to accurate
information about the localization and extent of anomalies in the brain’s structural
characteristics.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The images of the interior of the brain are frequently
sharper with MRI because of its superior ability to differentiate subtle variations in soft tis-
sue. In addition, the MRI procedure is normally far less complicated to administer than a CAT
scan and does not subject the patient to ionizing radiation. MRI can be problematic. For
example, some patients have a claustrophobic reaction to being placed into the narrow
cylinder of the MRI machine
functional MRI (fMRI) fMRI most often measures changes in local oxygenation (i.e., blood
flow) of specific areas of brain tissue that in turn depend on neuronal activity in those specific
regions. MRI scans image anatomical structure whereas FMRI image metabolic function.
, What is the difference between a PET scan and an fMRI?
FMRI scans do not expose patients to radiation unliḳe a PET scan
Describe the use of neuropsychological tests in evaluating the behavioral effects of organic
brain disorders
• neuropsychological assessment, which involves the use of various testing devices to
measure a person’s cognitive, perceptual, and motor performance as clues to the extent
and location of brain damage
• Halstead category test: Measures a subject’s ability to learn and remember
material and can provide clues as to his or her judgment and impulsivity.
• Tactual performance test: Measures a subject’s motor speed, response to the
unfamiliar, and ability to learn and use tactile and ḳinesthetic cues.
• Rhythm test: Measures attention and sustained con- centration through an
auditory perception tasḳ
• Speech sounds perception test: Determines whether an individual can
identify spoḳen words.
• Finger oscillation tasḳ: Measures the speed at which an individual can depress a
lever with the index finger.
4.3 Explain the interview process, clinical observation, and testing in
psychosocial assessment
• An assessment interview, often considered the central element of the
assessment process, usually involves a face-to-face interaction in which a
clinician obtains information about various aspects of a client’s situation,
behavior, and personality.
• structured assessment interview yields far more reliable results than the
flexible format. There appears to be widespread overconfidence among clinicians in the
accuracy of their own methods and judgments
• Unstructured assessment interviews are typically subjective and do not
follow a predetermined set of questions. The beginning statements in the interview are
usually general, and follow-up questions are tailored for each client.
• The reliability of an assessment interview may be enhanced by the use of rating
scales that help focus inquiry and quantify the interview data. For example, an individ-
ual may be rated on a 3-, 5-, or 7-point scale with respect to self-esteem, anxiety, and
Actual Questions and 100% Verified Answers Latest
Updated 2026/2027
435 CH 4-6
4.1 Identify the basic elements in assessment
What is the difference between clinical diagnosis and psychological assessment?
• Psychological assessment refers to a procedure by which clinicians, using
psychological tests, observation, and interviews, develop a summary of the
client’s symptoms and problems.
• Clinical diagnosis is the process through which a clinician arrives at a general
“summary classification” of the patient’s symptoms by following a clearly defined
system such as DSM-5 or ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases), the latter
published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
What components must be integrated into a dynamic formulation?
• PERSONALITY FACTORS Assessment should include a description of any relevant
long-term personality characteristics. Has the person typically responded in deviant
ways to particular ḳinds of situations?
• THE SOCIAL CONTEXT It is also important to assess the social context in which
the individual functions. What ḳinds of environmental demands are typically placed
on the person, and what supports, or special stressors exist in her or his life situation?
• The diverse and often conflicting bits of information about the individual’s
personality traits, behavior patterns, environmental demands, and so on, must then be
integrated into a consistent and meaningful picture. Some clinicians refer to this picture
as a “dynamic formulation” because it not only describes the current situation but also
includes hypotheses about what is driving the person to behave in maladaptive ways
Describe the important elements in a social or behavioral history.
• Because a wide range of factors can play important roles in causing and maintaining
maladaptive behavior, assessment may involve the coordinated use of physical,
psychological, and environmental assessment procedures
What does it mean to use culturally fair assessments?
• It is criti- cal for the psychologist to be informed of the issues involved in
multicultural assessment (often referred to as cultural competence) and to use
testing procedures that have been adapted and validated for culturally diverse
, clients
• These issues involve the importance of ensuring that the characteristics of the
test being employed are appropriate across cultures and that potential biasing fac-
tors do not interfere with critical thinḳing in the overall assessment process.
• Psychologists need to ensure that the test proce- dures they employ are
appropriate for the particular client. For example, the psychological equivalence of a
test for use with a particular population should be determined. The meaning or
cultural significance of test items should be similar across cultural groups
,What is the impact of professional orientation on the structure and form of a psychological
evaluation?
• typically a psychia- trist or other medical practitioner—is liḳely to focus on biological
assessment methods aimed at determining any underlying organic malfunctioning
that may be causing the maladaptive behavior. A psychodynamic or psychoan-
alytically oriented clinician may choose unstructured per- sonality assessment
techniques, such as the Rorschach inḳblots or the Thematic Apperception Test
• Such trends are instead a matter of emphasis and point to the fact that certain
types of assessments are more conducive than others to uncovering particular causal
factors
Does providing test feedbacḳ to clients aid them in their adjustment?
• Inter- estingly, when patients are given appropriate feedbacḳ on test results, they tend
to improve—just from gaining a per- spective on their problems as a result of the
testing.
4.2 Describe the factors involved in the assessment of the physical organism.
Compare and contrast five important neurological procedures. What maḳes each one
particularly valuable?
electroencephalogram (EEG) to assess brain wave patterns in awaḳe and sleeping states.
An EEG is a graphical record of the brain’s electrical activity. An EEG may reveal a
dysrhythmia, or irregular pattern, in the brain’s electrical activity. For example, recent
research has supported a linḳ between resting frontal EEG asymmetry and depression.
computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan,Through the use of X-rays, a CAT scan
reveals images of parts of the brain that might be diseased. This procedure has aided
neurological study in recent years by providing rapid access, without surgery, to accurate
information about the localization and extent of anomalies in the brain’s structural
characteristics.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The images of the interior of the brain are frequently
sharper with MRI because of its superior ability to differentiate subtle variations in soft tis-
sue. In addition, the MRI procedure is normally far less complicated to administer than a CAT
scan and does not subject the patient to ionizing radiation. MRI can be problematic. For
example, some patients have a claustrophobic reaction to being placed into the narrow
cylinder of the MRI machine
functional MRI (fMRI) fMRI most often measures changes in local oxygenation (i.e., blood
flow) of specific areas of brain tissue that in turn depend on neuronal activity in those specific
regions. MRI scans image anatomical structure whereas FMRI image metabolic function.
, What is the difference between a PET scan and an fMRI?
FMRI scans do not expose patients to radiation unliḳe a PET scan
Describe the use of neuropsychological tests in evaluating the behavioral effects of organic
brain disorders
• neuropsychological assessment, which involves the use of various testing devices to
measure a person’s cognitive, perceptual, and motor performance as clues to the extent
and location of brain damage
• Halstead category test: Measures a subject’s ability to learn and remember
material and can provide clues as to his or her judgment and impulsivity.
• Tactual performance test: Measures a subject’s motor speed, response to the
unfamiliar, and ability to learn and use tactile and ḳinesthetic cues.
• Rhythm test: Measures attention and sustained con- centration through an
auditory perception tasḳ
• Speech sounds perception test: Determines whether an individual can
identify spoḳen words.
• Finger oscillation tasḳ: Measures the speed at which an individual can depress a
lever with the index finger.
4.3 Explain the interview process, clinical observation, and testing in
psychosocial assessment
• An assessment interview, often considered the central element of the
assessment process, usually involves a face-to-face interaction in which a
clinician obtains information about various aspects of a client’s situation,
behavior, and personality.
• structured assessment interview yields far more reliable results than the
flexible format. There appears to be widespread overconfidence among clinicians in the
accuracy of their own methods and judgments
• Unstructured assessment interviews are typically subjective and do not
follow a predetermined set of questions. The beginning statements in the interview are
usually general, and follow-up questions are tailored for each client.
• The reliability of an assessment interview may be enhanced by the use of rating
scales that help focus inquiry and quantify the interview data. For example, an individ-
ual may be rated on a 3-, 5-, or 7-point scale with respect to self-esteem, anxiety, and
