Deck 4: Psychological Assessment and Research Methods

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT true of the actuarial approach?

A)Those who endorse it would not rely on intuition in making a decision.
B)Those who endorse it argue that there is no substitute for the clinician's experience and personal judgment in coming to decisions.
C)Those who endorse it argue that a more objective standard is needed.
D)It tends to be more efficient in terms of making predictions in a variety of situations.
E)Those who endorse it rely on statistical procedures and formal rules in evaluating data.

Answer 1

Those who endorse it argue that there is no substitute for the clinician's experience and personal judgment in coming to decisions.

Question 2

According to the text,which of the following is NOT true of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?

A)It is a noninvasive technique.
B)fMRI is a recent modification of the MRI.
C)It reveals both the structure and functioning of the brain.
D)It is slightly dangerous,as it involves the use of high-energy radiation (X-rays).
E)It involves producing a strong magnetic field around the patient's head.

Answer 2

It is slightly dangerous,as it involves the use of high-energy radiation (X-rays).

Question 3

Claire completes a psychological test of personality type twice,the second time 4 weeks after the first.The correlation between her two test scores was very low.Based on this information,the test can be said to exhibit

A)low alternate form reliability.
B)low split-half reliability.
C)high test-retest reliability.
D)low test-retest reliability.
E)high alternate form reliability.

Answer 3

low test-retest reliability.

Question 4

Psychological assessment

A)is a process that reveals the correct diagnosis to a researcher or clinician.
B)determines the biological,psychological and social causes of disorder that is causing distress and/or impairment.
C)provides data that are placed within the context of history,referral information,behavioural observations,and life of an individual.
D)is gradually replacing the unstructured interview as researchers and clinicians become increasingly concerned with accuracy and precision in diagnosis.
E)plays the role in research that the clinical interview plays in clinical assessment.

Question 5

A(n)__________ assesses brain function by measuring electrical impulses by way of electrodes placed on parts of the scalp.

A)MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
B)EEG (electroencephalogram)
C)PAT (positron axial tomography)
D)PET (positron emission tomography)
E)CAT (computerized axial tomography)

Question 6

Which of the following is true of the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt test?

A)The main problem with the test is that it produces many false positives.
B)It consists of a series of cards containing lines and shapes,which individuals are asked to copy and then draw from memory.
C)It is rarely used at present,though it was commonly employed in the past.
D)There are currently no standardized scoring systems for this test.
E)It is very difficult to administer.

Question 7

Which of the following is a measure of internal consistency?

A)Coefficient gamma
B)Coefficient beta
C)Alternate form
D)Coefficient alpha
E)Beta correlation

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT true of positron emission tomography?

A)It involves the use of isotopes with half-lives of minutes to hours.
B)It allows a researcher to measure a variety of biological activities in the brain.
C)It is capable of showing the distribution of various neurotransmitters within the brain.
D)It produces a static image of the brain's anatomy,as do CAT scans and MRIs.
E)It involves the injection or inhalation of radioisotopes.

Question 9

A researcher wants to know to what extent are all the questions within her test measuring the same thing.She can assess this by evaluating __________ the of her test or by using __________.

A)split-half reliability;face validity
B)face validity;test-retest reliability
C)construct validity;coefficient alpha
D)split-half reliability;coefficient alpha
E)predictive validity;internal consistency

Question 10

Without __________,you cannot have __________.

A)reliability;validity
B)face validity;criterion validity
C)construct validity;face validity
D)split half reliability;face validity
E)predictive validity;face validity

Question 11

According to the text,construct validity

A)is especially useful when the construct to be measured is clearly defined rather than abstract.
B)is important because some qualities are easier to recognize than to define.
C)refers to the importance of a test within a specific theoretical framework.
D)means that the items on a test resemble characteristics associated with the concept being tested.
E)requires that a test's content include a representative sample of behaviours thought to be related to the construct.

Question 12

The explicit purpose of neuropsychological tests is to

A)assess abilities in the verbal and non-verbal intelligence domains.
B)determine the relationships between behaviour and brain function.
C)generate special scores that the tests of ordinary psychologists cannot.
D)identify ability profiles that correspond to known mental illnesses.
E)accurately distinguish "organic" from developmental brain dysfunction.

Question 13

Which of the following are problems with the actuarial approach?

A)Many of the equations and algorithms found in the literature do not generalize to practice settings.
B)Those who endorse it argue that there is no substitute for the clinician's experience and personal judgment in coming to decisions.
C)There is often more than one approach to choose from,yielding different results.
D)Actuarial decisions are often affected by subjective influences upon decision-making.
E)The clinical approach is more efficient in making predictions in a variety of situations.

Question 14

The resolution of the image produced by (an)__________ can be improved by injecting a substance to enhance contrasts between different sorts of tissue.

A)PAT (positron axial tomography)
B)PET (positron emission tomography)
C)MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
D)EEG (electroencephalogram)
E)CAT (computerized axial tomography)

Question 15

Although it is relatively old technology,__________ provides an effective method of detecting seizure disorders

A)MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
B)CAT (computerized axial tomography)
C)PAT (positron axial tomography)
D)PET (positron emission tomography)
E)EEG (electroencephalogram)

Question 16

Which of the following is a way in which CT scans have been used to better understand how the brain works in abnormal behaviour?

A)by examining changes in structural abnormalities before and after treatment of a disorder.
B)by examining changes in structural abnormalities before and after an episode of psychopathology.
C)by examining stability of structural abnormalities following cessation of medication.
D)by examining stability of structural abnormalities over the course of day.
E)by examining gender differences in structural abnormalities.

Question 17

A particular questionnaire is intended to measure musical enjoyment.One of the questions is "Do you enjoy listening to music?" This item can be said to have

A)internal consistency.
B)face validity.
C)criterion validity.
D)construct validity.
E)predictive validity.

Question 18

In the procedure known as __________,a narrow band of X-rays is projected through the head,and produces a number of images of the brain which are later combined.

A)EEG (electroencephalogram)
B)CAT (computerized axial tomography)
C)PET (positron emission tomography)
D)MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
E)PAT (positron axial tomography)

Question 19

According to the text,which of the following is NOT true of alternate form reliability estimates?

A)They are used to circumvent the problem of improvement due to practice which can occur in estimates of test-retest reliability.
B)They require the creation of two forms of the same test,in which the questions are phrased slightly differently but are intended to assess the same construct as the first.
C)They are used to circumvent the problem of familiarity with questions which can occur in estimates of test-retest reliability.
D)A low correlation between the two forms demonstrates good alternate-form reliability.
E)A high correlation between the two forms demonstrates good alternate-form reliability.

Question 20

Psychological assessment involves

A)comparing an individual's symptom profile to each of the DSM-5 disorders.
B)administering the appropriate diagnostic tests to an individual with suspected abnormal behaviour.
C)conducting a structured interview to determine the correct diagnosis for an individual who is displaying abnormal behaviour.
D)systematic gathering and evaluation of information pertaining to an individual with suspected abnormal behaviour.
E)identifying psychological,social and biological factors that are causing an individual's mental illness.

Question 21

The first widely accepted and successful test of intelligence was designed by __________ to predict __________.

A)Stanford;academic performance
B)Binet;academic performance
C)Simon;job performance
D)Galton;future criminal behaviour
E)Wechsler;verbal intelligence

Question 22

It is important to administer a neuropsychological test battery when the patient

A)is feeling most fatigued so one can determine performance under the most challenging circumstances.
B)is at the peak of their mental disorder so one can determine performance under the most challenging circumstances.
C)is relatively stable medically and emotionally so one can determine performance under optimal circumstances.
D)is relatively stable in their personality so one can determine performance under optimal circumstances.
E)is hospitalized so one can determine performance under the most challenging circumstances.

Question 23

Which one of the following is NOT a dimension assessed by the mental status examination?

A)appearance
B)sensorium
C)risk of harm to self
D)insight
E)ability to detect sarcasm

Question 24

The first widely used intelligence test for adults,the __________,was developed by __________.

A)Simon Adult Intelligence Scale;Simon
B)Adult Intelligence Index;Wechsler
C)Stanford-Binet Scale;Stanford
D)Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale;Wechsler
E)Adult Intelligence Index;Stanford University

Question 25

Heather is seeing a clinical psychologist,who has asked her to construct stories about cards depicting ambiguous social interactions.Heather is likely completing the

A)Ambiguous Circumstances Exam (ACE).
B)Murray-Morgan Apperception Test (MMAT).
C)Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
D)Rorschach Inkblot Test.
E)Sentence Completion Test.

Question 26

A clinician has given a client the Rorschach Inkblot Test,and is employing a standardized scoring system created to increase the reliability and validity of the test.They are likely what system?

A)the Murray-Exner system
B)the Exner system
C)the Exner-Murray system
D)the Hunsley system
E)the Murray system

Question 27

Aside from his adult intelligence test,Wechsler also developed

A)both the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children (WISC)and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI).
B)the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI).
C)both the Stanford-Binet Scale of Intelligence (SBI)and the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children (WISC).
D)the Stanford-Binet Scale of Intelligence (SBI).
E)the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children (WISC).

Question 28

Projective tests generally have their roots in

A)psychoanalytic principles.
B)behaviorist principles.
C)cognitive principles.
D)existential principles.
E)humanistic principles.

Question 29

Which of the following is not true of Binet's work,according to the text?

A)He was commissioned by the Parisian school board to develop a test that would identify children who might need special education.
B)Binet tested the hypothesis that intelligence has a hereditary aspect.
C)His work developed into the Stanford-Binet scales,now in their fifth edition.
D)He used the intelligence quotient (IQ),determined by dividing a child's performance by the child's chronological age and multiplying by 100.
E)He was the first to use a large sample of subjects to establish norms to describe intelligence.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT TRUE regarding IQ?

A)It is the most stable of the psychological traits.
B)It can predict important life outcomes,such as income and choice of life partner.
C)It is moderately to strongly related to academic achievement.
D)It has been criticized as simply measuring academic achievement.
E)It can reliably identify those with learning disabilities.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT suggested by the text as a problem with the unstructured interview?

A)It has poor validity.
B)It has poor reliability.
C)Clinicians using this type of interview may only look for information that confirms their hypotheses.
D)Clients often dislike participating in them.
E)The theoretical paradigm of the clinician greatly influences the type of information gathered.

Question 32

Sir Francis Galton believed that intelligence could best be measured by studying __________,such as an attribute known later as __________.

A)spatial abilities;spatial intelligence
B)arithmetic skills;mathematical intelligence
C)verbal abilities;verbal intelligence
D)physiological abilities;sensory intelligence
E)physical abilities;athletic intelligence

Question 33

The typical correlation between IQ scores and academic performance is in the range of

A).30-.50.
B).50-.70.
C).70-.80.
D).90-1.00.
E)0-.30.

Question 34

The most popular neuropsychological test battery is the

A)Halstead-Reitan.
B)Thematic Apperception.
C)Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt.
D)Rorschach.
E)Luria-Nebraska.

Question 35

According to the text,the most widely used structured clinical interview is the

A)Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IIIR (SCID).
B)Structured Clinical Interview for Psychiatric Illness (SCIPI).
C)The Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS-IV).
D)The DSM-5.
E)Mental Status Examination.

Question 36

According to the text,which of the following is NOT true of structured interviews?

A)They reduce the concern over the subjective judgments of the interviewer.
B)They have clear rules governing the evaluation of responses.
C)They tend to jeopardize rapport.
D)They are very specific in the order and wording of questions.
E)They are less reliable then unstructured interviews.

Question 37

Lisa is seeing a clinical psychologist,who has given her a psychological test in which she examines cards with ambiguous inkblots on them.Lisa is likely completing the

A)Thematic Apperception Test.
B)Rorschach Inkblot Test.
C)Freudian Inkblot Test.
D)Halstead-Reitan Battery.
E)Psychoanalytic Inkblot Test.

Question 38

The first scientific study of intellectual functioning was conducted by __________,to test the hypothesis that intelligence has a hereditary aspect.

A)Binet
B)Lafayette
C)Wechsler
D)Simon
E)Galton

Question 39

According to the text,the most frequently used semistructured interview in psychiatric settings is the

A)Semistructured Mental Interview.
B)Mental Status Examination.
C)Psychological Functioning Examination.
D)The Diagnostic Interview Schedule.
E)Psychiatric Status Interview.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT true of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)?

A)It is multiphasic because it assesses many aspects of personality.
B)Items were only chosen for inclusion if people known to have the characteristic the scale is measuring responded differently to those items than did those who did not have the characteristic.
C)The results of the MMPI-2,the newest version,give a DSM-5 diagnosis.
D)Many of its items appear to have little face validity,meaning that it is difficult to tell what the question is attempting to measure.
E)It was originally published in 1943 by Hathaway and McKinley.

Question 41

Which of the following changes was made in the MMPI-II,as compared to the original MMPI?

A)The test was standardized using a representative group of patients at a Minnesota state hospital.
B)Test items aimed at identifying religious beliefs were added.
C)The test was standardized on a much larger number of people,as a relatively small number was used in the original.
D)Many of the validity scales,such as the F-scale,were removed.
E)The test was standardized on a much more representative sample based on census information.

Question 42

In a study of the effects of a certain antipsychotic drug,the control group receives a pill that does not actually contain the drug.This group has received a __________.

A)dependent variable
B)double-blind
C)placebo
D)pretest
E)pseudo-treatment

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT true of correlational studies?

A)A correlation can be either positive or negative.
B)Behaviour is not manipulated,but rather quantitatively measured and analyzed statistically.
C)They are frequently carried out where experimental manipulation is impossible or unethical.
D)They measure the degree of relationship between two variables.
E)They generally do not require a large number of participants.

Question 44

In an experiment,the __________ group is exposed to a variable which is manipulated,called the __________ variable.

A)control;dependent
B)experimental;dependent
C)experimental;control
D)control;independent
E)experimental;independent

Question 45

John is a clinical psychologist who is gathering information on his client,Steve,by taping him while he works.This sort of observation is called

A)analogue observation.
B)self-monitoring.
C)electronic observation.
D)in vivo observation.
E)actual observation.

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a problem associated with observational methods?

A)Reactivity may compromise validity.
B)People may change their behaviour if they know they are being observed or recorded.
C)Observers may begin to develop their own theories of behaviours mid-way through the observation.
D)Observer drift may occur.
E)Observation is expensive in terms of time and scoring procedures.

Question 47

Several clinical psychologists are conducting a study about the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.Before receiving the various treatments,the participants were assessed on a number of psychological measures.According to the terminology in the text,these measures would be referred to as

A)early tests.
B)advance tests.
C)experimental tests.
D)pretests.
E)posttests.

Question 48

In the TADS experiment,described in the text,the researchers used a double-blind procedure,meaning that

A)both the experimenters and the participants knew what group of adolescents were getting which treatment.
B)only the participants themselves knew which treatment they were receiving.
C)only the parents of the adolescents involved in the study were aware of which treatment they were receiving.
D)neither the participants nor the experimenters knew who was getting medication and who was getting a placebo.
E)only the experimenters knew who was getting medication and who was getting a placebo.

Question 49

According to the text,the development of classification systems such as the DSM was largely based upon

A)questionnaires.
B)experiments.
C)correlational studies.
D)case studies.
E)quasi-experiments.

Question 50

According to the text,which of the following allows for the greatest confidence in interpreting and generalization of results?

A)The quasi-experiment
B)The experiment
C)The correlational study
D)The psychological test
E)The semi-experiment

Question 51

When evaluating an experiment,one needs to consider its external validity,or

A)the degree to which the results of the study can be generalized to other individuals in different settings.
B)the size of the experimental effect reported in the study.
C)the degree to which the changes in the independent variables are a result of the manipulation of the dependent variable.
D)the degree to which alternative explanations for the results of the study can be ruled out.
E)the degree to which the changes in the dependent variables are a result of the manipulation of the independent variable.

Question 52

If two variables are found not to be related to one another,then the correlation coefficient of the relationship between these two variables should be close to

A)zero
B)+0.63
C)-0.50
D)-1.00
E)+1.00

Question 53

A confound occurs when

A)two or more independent variables exert their influence on a dependent variable at different times.
B)an experimental investigation lacks external validity.
C)two or more independent variables exert their influence on a dependent variable at the same time.
D)the results of an experiment are not significant.
E)one independent variable exerts an influence on a dependent variable.

Question 54

According to the text,the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)has been criticized in the past because it

A)consistently underestimates the severity of personality disorders and overdiagnoses somatoform disorders.
B)consistently underestimates the severity of depressive symptoms and overdiagnoses anxiety disorders.
C)consistently underestimates the severity of personality disorders and overdiagnoses depressive syndromes.
D)consistently underestimates the severity of depressive syndromes and overdiagnoses personality disorders.
E)consistently underestimates the severity of depressive syndromes and overdiagnoses somatoform disorders.

Question 55

Psychologists are usually most interested in correlation coefficients that are greater than or equal to

A)0
B)+1.00
C)+0.30
D)+0.30 or -0.30
E)-0.30

Question 56

Which of the following is one of the MMPI validity scales?

A)the Z scale
B)the J scale
C)the F scale
D)the R scale
E)the T scale

Question 57

One of the primary goals of clinical research is the __________ of clinical phenomena.

A)observation
B)prediction
C)description
D)explanation
E)control

Question 58

When differences in some dependent variable are found to occur as a function of manipulation of the independent variable,a(n)__________ is obtained.

A)experimental effect
B)random effect
C)pseudo effect
D)controlled effect
E)correlation

Question 59

When the psychological problems of a patient are fairly well known,__________ tests are appropriate.

A)narrow band
B)broad band
C)objective
D)self-report
E)projective

Question 60

Walter Mischel argued that personality tests are flawed because

A)people fail to give accurate self-reports because of the response set of social desirability.
B)people respond to demand characteristics - they respond as they feel the tester would like them to.
C)the concept of personality is an illusion.
D)the majority have been shown to have extremely low reliability.
E)of their erroneous assumption that personality characteristics are stable.

Question 61

Which of the following was NOT presented by the text as a criticism of the case study method of investigating abnormal behaviour?

A)The clinician's theoretical background has been shown to influence the information gathered.
B)It does not lead to generation of new hypotheses.
C)It does not employ the scientific method.
D)It cannot demonstrate cause and effect.
E)One cannot be certain of the generalizability of the findings.

Question 62

Evocative gene-environment correlation occurs

A)When a person with certain inherited characteristics reacts to their environment in a certain way.
B)When a person with certain inherited characteristics actively selects certain environments.
C)When a person's heritable behaviours elicit a certain environmental response.
D)When the environment changes one's underlying genes.
E)When a person with certain heritable characteristics passes on those characteristics to their offspring.

Question 63

Coefficient alpha and split-half reliability are both methods for evaluating the internal consistency of a test.

Question 64

According to the text,__________ compares treatment results to non-disturbed samples,in order to evaluate the social validity of a particular treatment.

A)social comparison
B)experimental significance evaluation
C)normative comparison
D)clinical significance evaluation
E)practical comparison

Question 65

According to the text,the case study is a(n)__________ approach used in the investigation of abnormal behaviour.

A)singular
B)nomothetic
C)individual
D)ideographic
E)unitary

Question 66

What is an effect size?

A)The calculation that a researcher performs to determine the sample size for a study.
B)A statistic that reflects the strength of an intervention's effects.
C)A statistic that reflects the extent to which a confounding variable affected the outcome of an intervention study.
D)The extent to which a study has had an effect on government/social policy.
E)The extent to which a study has had an impact on its research participants.

Question 67

A musical child grows older and begins to hang out with other musically-gifted peers,and eventually decides to enter the Faculty of Music when he goes to University.This is known as

A)passive gene-environment correlation.
B)evocative gene-environment correlation.
C)concordance.
D)cross-fostering.
E)active gene-environment correlation.

Question 68

Alternate-form reliability refers to the degree of reliability within a test.

Question 69

A treatment's practical utility,which does not follow automatically from statistical significance,is referred to as _____ significance.

A)treatment
B)therapeutic
C)clinical
D)normative
E)practical

Question 70

Linda is clinical psychologist studying the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia in a certain population.She is carrying out a(n)____ study.

A)longitudinal
B)experimental
C)etiological
D)epidemiological
E)ideographic

Question 71

If two variables,A and B,are related then we can say all of the following except

A)there is a relationship between A and B.
B)some other variable,C,may be causing both A and B.
C)A might be causing B.
D)A causes B.
E)B might be causing A.

Question 72

Though based on the investigation of an individual subject,the _____ design avoids many of the criticisms of the case study by using experimentally accepted procedures.

A)nomothetic
B)ideographic
C)reversal
D)quasi-experimental
E)single-subject

Question 73

There has been a great deal of research,using a wide variety of methods,examining the concordance rates for disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.These studies have generally revealed higher concordance rates in ______ than in __________.

A)monozygotic twins;adopted relatives
B)adopted relatives;biological relatives
C)biological relatives;adopted relatives
D)dizygotic twins;monozygotic twins
E)monozygotic twins;dizygotic twins

Question 74

Psychological assessment is a central component of psychological testing.

Question 75

A passive gene-environment correlation occurs

A)When a person's biological parents transmit certain genotypes and early environmental experiences that are consistent with those genotypes.
B)When a person with certain inherited characteristics reacts to their environment in a certain way.
C)When the environment changes a person's underlying genes without their awareness.
D)When grandparents pass on their genotype to their grandchildren.
E)When a person's genotype alters their environment without their awareness.

Question 76

Face validity goes one step beyond content validity in its requirement that a test's content include a representative sample of behaviours thought to be related to the construct the test is designed to measure.

Question 77

Experimental results concerning the efficacy of a particular treatment are labelled "statistically significant" when

A)it is extremely unlikely that the obtained results could have occurred purely by chance and the treatment has been demonstrated to be likely to work in "real life."
B)the treatment results have been compared to non-disturbed samples.
C)the treatment has been demonstrated to work in "real life."
D)it is extremely unlikely that the obtained results could have occurred purely by chance.
E)it is extremely unlikely that the obtained results could have occurred purely by chance and the treatment has been demonstrated to work in "real life."

Question 78

Bill is a clinician who feels that when it comes to evaluating and interpreting data about a patient,there is no substitute for the clinician's personal experience and judgment.Bill is most likely endorsing the actuarial approach to prediction.

Question 79

Leanne is conducting a study in which she is examining the difference in rates of bipolar disorder between monozygotic and dizygotic twins pairs.The term most frequently used to describe this sort of study is

A)sibling study.
B)adoption study.
C)twin study.
D)matched study.
E)zygotic study.

Question 80

Because of the potential confound of shared environment in _____ studies,behavioural geneticists have often turned to other methods such as adoption studies.

A)family
B)behavioural genetics
C)cross-fostering
D)psychological
E)adoption