Exam 3: Assessment and Diagnosis

Test-retest reliability correlations of greater than +.50 indicate high consistency of scores over time.

An accurate diagnosis is critical to patient well-being, effective treatment, and long-term functioning. What specific consequences might an inaccurate diagnosis have for a patient?

How psychologists conceptualize and measure intelligence has changed over the years.

The Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery is used by clinicians to evaluate the

Despite the fact of questionable psychometric properties, the Rorschach Inkblot Test is still used in assessments because of some psychologists' reliance on the importance of clinical judgment.

Evaluate two major disadvantages of a dimensional approach to classification of abnormal behaviour.

The DSM system is dynamic and has undergone several revisions. How, and in what ways, has the system changed over the years? What factors influenced these changes?

In understanding the results of assessments using psychometric instruments, a person's score may be compared with normative group scores, self-referent scores, or a combination of the two approaches.

Select the statement that is True of the DSM classification system.

During the course of a physical exam, a physician suspects his patient may be depressed. In order to explore this diagnostic possibility, the physician uses a "brief screening device" for depression. The doctor probably

The DSM has become the international standard diagnostic classification system for epidemiology and many health management purposes.

Selecting the best set of instruments to address the clinician's questions depends on the goals of assessment, the properties of the instruments, and the

Before an insurance company will reimburse a mental health professional for assessment or treatment, it often requires a diagnosis.

Psychophysiological assessment has increased in popularity in recent years among psychologists, reflecting a greater emphasis on the biopsychosocial model of human behaviour. Under what conditions might it be chosen for inclusion in an assessment?

A psychologist in the counselling center interviews a student in crisis who is having suicidal thoughts. As part of the assessment process, the psychologist administers a test designed to evaluate potential suicide risk. Which type of validity is the psychologist relying on in this scenario?

A construct validity score represents

Dr. Winston is interested in determining if his patient's score on a psychometric instrument measuring resilience is comparable to the scores of other persons in his age group. Given this interest, Dr. Winston would compare his patient's score to scores for a _______ group.

The concept of intelligence has been the subject of debates for many reasons over the years. Discuss three of the issues outlined in your text that are representative of the debate over the use of this construct.

Discuss how the current diagnostic system may be increasing rates of comorbidity among patients.

The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) assesses an individual's ability to set shift, or display flexibility, in thinking as the goal of a task changes. As a "frontal lobe test," it is able to discriminate