Lecture 1
Most used test for self-esteem
Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale
Not a valid psychological measure
Self-esteem test → no norms, self quiz
Course
● How to evaluate a psychological test on its merits
○ Psychometric concepts
● The importance of psychodiagnostic in clinical practice (mental health care)
● The empirical cycle of the diagnostic process
● How to interpret a test score?
● Psychological testing vs psychological assessment
● Ethical and cultural aspects
Course requirements
● Multiple choice exam (grade)
● Written assignment (pass/fail)
○ Each student has to write and present a commentary on one specific test
○ From meeting 2 onwards each meeting 2 students will present
○ Material can be found in blackboard/assignments/course/material
○ For the written assignment you additionally need to administer the test, calculate
and classify the test score, and interpret the test performance
What is psychodiagnostics?
● A scientific study that helps you to make a funded statement about a person
● Aim: e.g. to make a decision, to advice a person, or to give a treatment
→ thus: do I need to be worried about the person? What can i do to help or advice this
person?
● Psychodiagnostic is not only a study of diseases or abnormal behavior
● Therefore this course is not only a preparation for working in a clinical setting
○ You want to avoid problems!
Associations for psychologists state
● Students should be educated in psychodiagnostics, both in theoretical courses and in
practice
● E.g. NIP states 200 hours of practice and +/- 27 ECTS of theoretical courses
Theoretical courses should incluse topic such as:
● Diagnostic cycle
● Applications in diverse fields
● Test but not only about tests
, ● Psychometrics
Psychodiagnostics
● Like being a detective
Diagnostic cycle
E.g. case
● Mid 20
● Accident three months ago
● Struch his head on the doorframe (top right part)
● Complains: pain, feeling mentally off
● No loss consciousness
● On job: not able to follow conversations, forgot what he was doing at times
● Some time off from work
● Problems continued when returning
Studying TBI in a scientific study => empirical cycle
, Classification stage - the “relatively”easy one?!
Can be different descriptions of behavior
E.g. parents, family members, friends, teachers
Explanation stage - the “relatively” difficult and forgotten one?!
E.g. why does he show symptoms of ADHD? (causes and maintaining factors)
Answer is essential for e.g. treatment planning
Explanation stage should be driven by theory and science
Clinicians often value this stage as less important
→ psychologists could be building a schema with explanations directly upon seeing
the symptoms
Triple pathway model of ADHD
Tries to explain symptoms of ADHD
E.g. messy room
Cause 1: problem with cognitive functioning
You simply don’t know how to clean your room → problem in brain
Cause 2 problem with delayed rewards
Children with ADHD don’t do to well with delayed rewards, only with immediate rewards (e.g.
stickers, points, stars etc. )
Cause 3: problem with time management
→ 3 real different causes
Most used test for self-esteem
Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale
Not a valid psychological measure
Self-esteem test → no norms, self quiz
Course
● How to evaluate a psychological test on its merits
○ Psychometric concepts
● The importance of psychodiagnostic in clinical practice (mental health care)
● The empirical cycle of the diagnostic process
● How to interpret a test score?
● Psychological testing vs psychological assessment
● Ethical and cultural aspects
Course requirements
● Multiple choice exam (grade)
● Written assignment (pass/fail)
○ Each student has to write and present a commentary on one specific test
○ From meeting 2 onwards each meeting 2 students will present
○ Material can be found in blackboard/assignments/course/material
○ For the written assignment you additionally need to administer the test, calculate
and classify the test score, and interpret the test performance
What is psychodiagnostics?
● A scientific study that helps you to make a funded statement about a person
● Aim: e.g. to make a decision, to advice a person, or to give a treatment
→ thus: do I need to be worried about the person? What can i do to help or advice this
person?
● Psychodiagnostic is not only a study of diseases or abnormal behavior
● Therefore this course is not only a preparation for working in a clinical setting
○ You want to avoid problems!
Associations for psychologists state
● Students should be educated in psychodiagnostics, both in theoretical courses and in
practice
● E.g. NIP states 200 hours of practice and +/- 27 ECTS of theoretical courses
Theoretical courses should incluse topic such as:
● Diagnostic cycle
● Applications in diverse fields
● Test but not only about tests
, ● Psychometrics
Psychodiagnostics
● Like being a detective
Diagnostic cycle
E.g. case
● Mid 20
● Accident three months ago
● Struch his head on the doorframe (top right part)
● Complains: pain, feeling mentally off
● No loss consciousness
● On job: not able to follow conversations, forgot what he was doing at times
● Some time off from work
● Problems continued when returning
Studying TBI in a scientific study => empirical cycle
, Classification stage - the “relatively”easy one?!
Can be different descriptions of behavior
E.g. parents, family members, friends, teachers
Explanation stage - the “relatively” difficult and forgotten one?!
E.g. why does he show symptoms of ADHD? (causes and maintaining factors)
Answer is essential for e.g. treatment planning
Explanation stage should be driven by theory and science
Clinicians often value this stage as less important
→ psychologists could be building a schema with explanations directly upon seeing
the symptoms
Triple pathway model of ADHD
Tries to explain symptoms of ADHD
E.g. messy room
Cause 1: problem with cognitive functioning
You simply don’t know how to clean your room → problem in brain
Cause 2 problem with delayed rewards
Children with ADHD don’t do to well with delayed rewards, only with immediate rewards (e.g.
stickers, points, stars etc. )
Cause 3: problem with time management
→ 3 real different causes
