PSYC 3230 CH. 3 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
ACCURATE ANSWERS
clinical assessment - ANSWER "systematic evaluation and measurement of
psychological, biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible
psychological disorder"
diagnosis - ANSWER "process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting
the individual meets all the criteria for a psychological disorder, as set forth in the
DSM-IV (now V)."
purposes of clinical assessment - ANSWER o To understand the individual
o To predict behavior
o To plan treatment
o To evaluate treatment outcome
analogous to a funnel - ANSWER o Starts broad
o Multidimensional in approach
o Narrow to specific problem areas
Reliability - ANSWER degree to which a measure is repeatable and consistent
• Consistency in measurement
• Across time (test-retest reliability)
• Rater (inter-rater reliability)
• Items (internal consistency)
Validity - ANSWER o degree to which a measure captures what it is designed to
measure (e.g. does an IQ test measure intelligence?)
• What the test measures and how well it does so
• *Content:* Does the measure capture the full range of the concept?
• *Convergent:* Is it related to other validated measures of the same construct?
• *Criterion:* Is it related to other constructs that are thought to be related?
• *Discriminant:* Is it unrelated to constructs that it shouldn't be related to?
, • *Face:* Does it appear to measure what it is supposed to measure?
• *Predictive:* Does it predict important and relevant outcomes?
• *Construct:* The degree to which a test measures the construct, or psychological
concept and variable, at which is aimed
• *Incremental:* short
o Can't have validity if you don't have reliability; but reliability doesn't mean you have
validity. Reliability is necessary but NOT sufficient aspect of validity
o Standardization and Norms
• Foster consistent use of techniques - apply standards to ensure consistency of
measurement
• Provide population benchmarks for comparison
• Ex. include administration procedures, scoring, and evaluation of data
• IQ tests
Domains of Assessment: The clinical interview and physical exam - ANSWER - *Clinical
Interview*
o Most common clinical assessment method
o Unstructured - no systematic format
o Semi-structured - set questions; room for departure from those questions - more
consistent information gleaned; less spontaneity
o Structured - set questions; no departure
• Presenting Problem (when started; precipitating event)
• (Would want to know family background, past and current job; daily routine; social
functioning; past and current medications; medical history, drug and alcohol use;
trauma history
• Current and past behavior relevant to problem
• Detailed history of patients life
• Developmental history (trauma/abuse) ect. - Romantic history, education history
- *Mental Status Exam*
o Appearance and Behavior: overt behaviors, drugs, hygiene, motor behavior, posture
o *Thought processes:* rate of speech, continuity, content - delusions, hallucinations
ACCURATE ANSWERS
clinical assessment - ANSWER "systematic evaluation and measurement of
psychological, biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible
psychological disorder"
diagnosis - ANSWER "process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting
the individual meets all the criteria for a psychological disorder, as set forth in the
DSM-IV (now V)."
purposes of clinical assessment - ANSWER o To understand the individual
o To predict behavior
o To plan treatment
o To evaluate treatment outcome
analogous to a funnel - ANSWER o Starts broad
o Multidimensional in approach
o Narrow to specific problem areas
Reliability - ANSWER degree to which a measure is repeatable and consistent
• Consistency in measurement
• Across time (test-retest reliability)
• Rater (inter-rater reliability)
• Items (internal consistency)
Validity - ANSWER o degree to which a measure captures what it is designed to
measure (e.g. does an IQ test measure intelligence?)
• What the test measures and how well it does so
• *Content:* Does the measure capture the full range of the concept?
• *Convergent:* Is it related to other validated measures of the same construct?
• *Criterion:* Is it related to other constructs that are thought to be related?
• *Discriminant:* Is it unrelated to constructs that it shouldn't be related to?
, • *Face:* Does it appear to measure what it is supposed to measure?
• *Predictive:* Does it predict important and relevant outcomes?
• *Construct:* The degree to which a test measures the construct, or psychological
concept and variable, at which is aimed
• *Incremental:* short
o Can't have validity if you don't have reliability; but reliability doesn't mean you have
validity. Reliability is necessary but NOT sufficient aspect of validity
o Standardization and Norms
• Foster consistent use of techniques - apply standards to ensure consistency of
measurement
• Provide population benchmarks for comparison
• Ex. include administration procedures, scoring, and evaluation of data
• IQ tests
Domains of Assessment: The clinical interview and physical exam - ANSWER - *Clinical
Interview*
o Most common clinical assessment method
o Unstructured - no systematic format
o Semi-structured - set questions; room for departure from those questions - more
consistent information gleaned; less spontaneity
o Structured - set questions; no departure
• Presenting Problem (when started; precipitating event)
• (Would want to know family background, past and current job; daily routine; social
functioning; past and current medications; medical history, drug and alcohol use;
trauma history
• Current and past behavior relevant to problem
• Detailed history of patients life
• Developmental history (trauma/abuse) ect. - Romantic history, education history
- *Mental Status Exam*
o Appearance and Behavior: overt behaviors, drugs, hygiene, motor behavior, posture
o *Thought processes:* rate of speech, continuity, content - delusions, hallucinations
