Psychodiagnostics Lectures
Week 1
History of Psychological Testing
Physiognomy
Psychological testing was largely based on the assessment of people’s outward appearance
Phrenology
Reading of bumps of the head to provide an index of mental functions
- Brain capacities are localized
- Development of mental faculties is associated with enlargement of the corresponding
brain areas
- This enlargement of brain areas causes a bump on the head
Early experimental psychology
- Movement from introspective methods to objective procedures that were capable of
replication
- Specific attention to reaction time data and sensory information processing
- Sensory processes were mistaken as an index of intelligence
Sir francis Galton
- Considered the ‘father of mental testing’
- First data collection methods for many subjects
- His methods of reaction times and sensory processes were too simplistic to measure
intelligence
- Onset of a large testing movement by demonstrating objective assessment of
individual differences
Alfred binet
- Intelligence could be better measured by higher mental processes rather than
elementary sensory processes such as reaction time
, - Together with Theodore Simon, Binet developed the Simon-Binet intelligence test
Alfred Binet and the Onset of Intelligence testing
- Mainly developed for educational purposes
- Identified of children that need special education
- 30 items ordered in level of difficulty
- Introduction of “mental age”
Stanford Binet intelligence test
- First edition introduced the concept of an intelligence quotient
- Later versions provide a basis for quantitative analysis of verbal vs non verbal
intelligence and other subcomponents of intelligence. E.g. fluid reasoning, working
memory, etc.)
- Still used successfully today and is an appropriate assessment tool to test very
young children, those with intellectual disability, or the very gifted
Development of other tests since 1900s
- Aptitude tests: index of a clearly defined / specific ability used to predict success in
education / occupation
- Projective tests: index of unconscious motives, needs, emotions
- Personality tests: index of traits, qualities, or behaviours. Predicting future behaviour
- Interest inventories: index of a preference of certain activities
- Neuropsychological tests: index of a host of abilities to determine the locus, extent,
and behavioural consequences of brain injury
Introduction to psychodiagnostics
What is psychodiagnostics?
As in scientific research, psychodiagnostic testing makes use of an ‘empirical circle’
The Diagnostic Cycle
Science:
- Observation: collecting data
, - Induction: formulating hypotheses based on observations
- Deduction: infer testable predictions based on hypotheses
- Testing: determine the validity of the predictions by collecting data
- Evaluations: accept or reject the hypotheses, conclusions
Step 1
Assessment of client’s complaints
- Intake interview
- Anamnesis and hetero anamnesis
- Clients request for help
- History and circumstances
Step 2
Assessment of clients problems
- Establishing the link between complaints and problems
- Clustering of the problems
- Risk assessment of the problems
- Cross referencing of the problems with scientific knowledge of (mental illness)
Step 3
Testing and diagnosing
- Formulate a hypothesis
- Testing of the hypothesis
- Choosing tests
- Evaluation of the test results
- Integration of the results
Step 4
Indication
- Determining a goal for intervention
- Determining the type of help
- Recommendation
Practical overview of obtaining information in youth psychodiagnostics
1) Intake
- Demographic details
- Request for help
- Screening behaviour
- Family details
- Administrative details
, 2) Interview with informants
- Parents
- Teachers
- Other informants
3) Interview with the child
- Interview
- Observation
- Testing / research
(both child and parent are considered the client)
When are we talking about problematic behaviour?
- DSM5
- ICD10
Problems with diagnostic classification systems
- Either there is a diagnostic or not
- Not all disorders in childhood fit in homogenous categories
- Valuable information gets lost when trying to forcefully diagnose a child
- Diagnostic criteria are often not well defined and leave room for (different)
interpretation
- Lack of clear procedures to determine a diagnosis
Testing… when?
Five stages in needs based assessment
“Towards needs based assessment: bridging the gap between assessment and practice”
1) Instake
2) Strategy
3) Testing / diagnosis
4) Needs assessment
5) Recommendations
Needs based assessment (NBA)
- Increasing the clinical relevance of assessment data by translating information into
recommendations for intervention
Week 1
History of Psychological Testing
Physiognomy
Psychological testing was largely based on the assessment of people’s outward appearance
Phrenology
Reading of bumps of the head to provide an index of mental functions
- Brain capacities are localized
- Development of mental faculties is associated with enlargement of the corresponding
brain areas
- This enlargement of brain areas causes a bump on the head
Early experimental psychology
- Movement from introspective methods to objective procedures that were capable of
replication
- Specific attention to reaction time data and sensory information processing
- Sensory processes were mistaken as an index of intelligence
Sir francis Galton
- Considered the ‘father of mental testing’
- First data collection methods for many subjects
- His methods of reaction times and sensory processes were too simplistic to measure
intelligence
- Onset of a large testing movement by demonstrating objective assessment of
individual differences
Alfred binet
- Intelligence could be better measured by higher mental processes rather than
elementary sensory processes such as reaction time
, - Together with Theodore Simon, Binet developed the Simon-Binet intelligence test
Alfred Binet and the Onset of Intelligence testing
- Mainly developed for educational purposes
- Identified of children that need special education
- 30 items ordered in level of difficulty
- Introduction of “mental age”
Stanford Binet intelligence test
- First edition introduced the concept of an intelligence quotient
- Later versions provide a basis for quantitative analysis of verbal vs non verbal
intelligence and other subcomponents of intelligence. E.g. fluid reasoning, working
memory, etc.)
- Still used successfully today and is an appropriate assessment tool to test very
young children, those with intellectual disability, or the very gifted
Development of other tests since 1900s
- Aptitude tests: index of a clearly defined / specific ability used to predict success in
education / occupation
- Projective tests: index of unconscious motives, needs, emotions
- Personality tests: index of traits, qualities, or behaviours. Predicting future behaviour
- Interest inventories: index of a preference of certain activities
- Neuropsychological tests: index of a host of abilities to determine the locus, extent,
and behavioural consequences of brain injury
Introduction to psychodiagnostics
What is psychodiagnostics?
As in scientific research, psychodiagnostic testing makes use of an ‘empirical circle’
The Diagnostic Cycle
Science:
- Observation: collecting data
, - Induction: formulating hypotheses based on observations
- Deduction: infer testable predictions based on hypotheses
- Testing: determine the validity of the predictions by collecting data
- Evaluations: accept or reject the hypotheses, conclusions
Step 1
Assessment of client’s complaints
- Intake interview
- Anamnesis and hetero anamnesis
- Clients request for help
- History and circumstances
Step 2
Assessment of clients problems
- Establishing the link between complaints and problems
- Clustering of the problems
- Risk assessment of the problems
- Cross referencing of the problems with scientific knowledge of (mental illness)
Step 3
Testing and diagnosing
- Formulate a hypothesis
- Testing of the hypothesis
- Choosing tests
- Evaluation of the test results
- Integration of the results
Step 4
Indication
- Determining a goal for intervention
- Determining the type of help
- Recommendation
Practical overview of obtaining information in youth psychodiagnostics
1) Intake
- Demographic details
- Request for help
- Screening behaviour
- Family details
- Administrative details
, 2) Interview with informants
- Parents
- Teachers
- Other informants
3) Interview with the child
- Interview
- Observation
- Testing / research
(both child and parent are considered the client)
When are we talking about problematic behaviour?
- DSM5
- ICD10
Problems with diagnostic classification systems
- Either there is a diagnostic or not
- Not all disorders in childhood fit in homogenous categories
- Valuable information gets lost when trying to forcefully diagnose a child
- Diagnostic criteria are often not well defined and leave room for (different)
interpretation
- Lack of clear procedures to determine a diagnosis
Testing… when?
Five stages in needs based assessment
“Towards needs based assessment: bridging the gap between assessment and practice”
1) Instake
2) Strategy
3) Testing / diagnosis
4) Needs assessment
5) Recommendations
Needs based assessment (NBA)
- Increasing the clinical relevance of assessment data by translating information into
recommendations for intervention
