Abnormal Psychology
Assessment of Psychological Disorders and Illnesses: A Summary with Significant Terms and
Definitions
Assessing Psychological Disorders
1. Clinical Assessment - is the systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological,
biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible psychological
disorder
2. Diagnosis - is the process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting the
individual meets all criteria for a psychological disorder
Key Concepts in Assessment
3. Reliability - is the degree to which a measurement is consistent
● Interrater reliability - two or more raters get the same answer
4. Validity - is whether something measures what it is designed to measure
● Concurrent or descriptive validity - comparing the results of an assessment under
consideration with the results of others that are better known allows you to begin to
determine the validity of the first measure
● Predictive validity - is how well your assessment tells you what will happen in the future
5. Standardization - is the process by which a certain set of standards or norms is determined
for a technique to make its use consistent across different measurements
Clinical Assessment
● Clinical interviews
a.) Unstructured interviews - no systematic format
b.) Semi-structured interviews - questions carefully phrased and tested to elicit useful
information
● Mental Status Exam - involves the systematic observation of an individual’s behavior; all the
background info needed; has five (5) categories
a.) Appearance and behavior
b.) Thought processes - rate or flow of speech
c.) Mood and affect - mood (predominant feeling) ; affect (how one normally reacts to
a situation or feeling)
d.) Intellectual functioning
e.) Sensorium - (place, time, person)
7. Behavioral Assessment - uses direct observation to formally assess an individual’s thoughts,
feelings, and behavior in specific situations or contexts
● Analogue - similar settings, recreating settings
ABC’s of Observation
------ Antecedents, Behavior, Consequence
● Informal observation- relies on the observer’s recollection, interpretation of events
● Formal observation- involves identifying specific behaviors that are observable and
measurable (operational definition)
8. Self-monitoring - people observing their own behavior to find patterns
● Reactivity - when a behavior is pointed out, it is lessened due to being pointed out
Assessment of Psychological Disorders and Illnesses: A Summary with Significant Terms and
Definitions
Assessing Psychological Disorders
1. Clinical Assessment - is the systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological,
biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible psychological
disorder
2. Diagnosis - is the process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting the
individual meets all criteria for a psychological disorder
Key Concepts in Assessment
3. Reliability - is the degree to which a measurement is consistent
● Interrater reliability - two or more raters get the same answer
4. Validity - is whether something measures what it is designed to measure
● Concurrent or descriptive validity - comparing the results of an assessment under
consideration with the results of others that are better known allows you to begin to
determine the validity of the first measure
● Predictive validity - is how well your assessment tells you what will happen in the future
5. Standardization - is the process by which a certain set of standards or norms is determined
for a technique to make its use consistent across different measurements
Clinical Assessment
● Clinical interviews
a.) Unstructured interviews - no systematic format
b.) Semi-structured interviews - questions carefully phrased and tested to elicit useful
information
● Mental Status Exam - involves the systematic observation of an individual’s behavior; all the
background info needed; has five (5) categories
a.) Appearance and behavior
b.) Thought processes - rate or flow of speech
c.) Mood and affect - mood (predominant feeling) ; affect (how one normally reacts to
a situation or feeling)
d.) Intellectual functioning
e.) Sensorium - (place, time, person)
7. Behavioral Assessment - uses direct observation to formally assess an individual’s thoughts,
feelings, and behavior in specific situations or contexts
● Analogue - similar settings, recreating settings
ABC’s of Observation
------ Antecedents, Behavior, Consequence
● Informal observation- relies on the observer’s recollection, interpretation of events
● Formal observation- involves identifying specific behaviors that are observable and
measurable (operational definition)
8. Self-monitoring - people observing their own behavior to find patterns
● Reactivity - when a behavior is pointed out, it is lessened due to being pointed out
