Deck 8: Initial Assessment in Counseling

Question 1

Central tendency error refers to the tendency for individuals to:

A)score near the mean.
B)respond in the middle of the ratings on rating scales.
C)prefer to give middle ratings rather than unfavorable ratings.
D)answer correctly about 50% of the time.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When interviewing children, counselors should:

A)gear the interview toward the child's developmental level and provide an explanation of why they are asking questions.
B)skip over any questions the child appears to be reluctant to answer.
C)ask closed-ended questions because children cannot answer open-ended questions.
D)typically use an established structured interview.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Clients who perceive their counselors as __________, __________, and __________, tend to have better outcomes in counselor than clients who do not have such perceptions.

A)intelligent; spontaneous; challenging
B)humorous; older; warm
C)reserved; pragmatic; articulate
D)trustworthy; expert; attractive

Answer 3

D

Question 4

An effective initial interview should involve a balance of gathering information and:

A)describing the theoretical orientation of the clinician.
B)beginning the implementation of therapeutic interventions.
C)building a therapeutic relationship.
D)establishing ground rules for fee payment.

Question 5

A(n)____________ interview consists of an established set of questions that are asked in the same manner and sequence to each client.

A)standardized
B)structured
C)semi-structured
D)unstructured

Question 6

In an intake interview, health and medical conditions should:

A)typically be addressed.
B)not be addressed unless the client is over 40.
C)not be addressed since questions about health issues can influence the relationship.
D)be explored if the client brings it up first.

Question 7

If a child during a counseling session begins crying, plays disruptively, or misbehaves in some way, Greenspan and Greenspan (1981)recommend:

A)immediately stopping the disruptive behavior.
B)requesting that the parents/guardians of the child help stop the behavior.
C)not stopping the behavior too quickly.
D)do nothing and let the child stop the behavior on his/her own.

Question 8

One of the major advantages of unstructured interviews is:

A)they are always more valid than structured interviews.
B)they are more reliable than structured interviews.
C)they are easier to perform than a structured interview.
D)they can be easily modified to respond to the unique needs of the client.

Question 9

In ___________, clients are instructed to mark the given words or phrases that apply to them.

A)checklists
B)rating scales
C)projective techniques
D)clinical scales

Question 10

A very well-known and used standardized checklist that examines client distressing symptoms is the:

A)Distressed Symptomology Scale (DSS).
B)Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). ​
C)Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R).
D)Symptom Index 3^rd Ed (SI-III).

Question 11

Informal checklists that do not have psychometric data:

A)should not be used by clinicians.
B)can be used for diagnostic purposes.
C)should be researched by an impartial third party in order to establish their reliability and validity.
D)may be used with caution for gathering preliminary information and identifying possible concerns.

Question 12

In conducting an interview with a client from another culture, the counselor should:

A)conduct the interview using closed-ended questions.
B)consider the degree to which self-disclosure is encouraged in that culture.
C)use a multiple-choice format in the interviewing.
D)use checklists or rating scales rather than interviews.

Question 13

In general, a strength of interviews as an assessment strategy is that:

A)they are shorter than most standardized assessments
B)they allow counselors to directly question clients about their concerns
C)they have the strongest reliability and validation evidence
D)they are the most cost-effective of the published assessment instruments

Question 14

Once the counselor has identified each of the significant problems the client is experiencing, the next step is to

A)work on establishing a good relationship.
B)prioritize these problems.
C)administer a personality assessment.
D)select a treatment approach to address all problems.

Question 15

During the initial session, counselors should be sure to assess clients for each of the following problems except for:

A)depression.
B)irritability.
C)substance abuse.
D)suicide potential.

Question 16

In an initial interview, it is usually better to use:

A)closed-ended questions because they are more valid.
B)open-ended questions because they are less likely to lead or unduly influence the client.
C)open-ended questions at first and then closed-ended questions in the last half of the session.
D)few questions because clients typically feel uncomfortable with questions.

Question 17

The issues that clients have are:

A)often hidden, with real issues never being expressed in the initial session.
B)multidimensional and require skill in identifying and clarifying.
C)clearly articulated by most clients in the initial session of counseling.
D)connected to one underlying problem that the counselor needs to identify.

Question 18

An instrument that requires clients to rate their level of anxiety from (1)not at all anxious to (5)extremely anxious is a:

A)checklist.
B)rating scale.
C)projective technique.
D)clinical scale.

Question 19

A psychosocial interview is typically associated with:

A)Wechsler's specific questions on psychosocial development.
B)gathering client background information.
C)instruments that measure psychosocial development.
D)determining the client's developmental level.

Question 20

When interviewing clients, counselors need to attend to both the _____________ and the __________ of the interview.

A)breadth; depth
B)specificity; intensity
C)content; process
D)length; structure

Question 21

In addition to the six required categories of the MSE it also important to include _______________________ in the MSE report.

A)psychosocial background information
B)an extensive developmental history
C)a list of client strengths and weaknesses
D)recommendations for assessment and intervention

Question 22

Are there ways that counselors can make themselves appear to be more trustworthy, expert, and attractive than they actually are? If so, how? If not, why not?

Question 23

What are some fears/anxieties you may have about interviewing children?

Question 24

What are the appropriate way(s)to assess suicide potential, depression, and substance abuse?

Question 25

How would the information gathered in the initial interview vary depending on the clinical setting?

Question 26

Which of the following is not included in a typical mental status exam (MSE)?

A)Appearance, attitude, and activity
B)Interpersonal skills
C)Speech and language
D)Insight and judgment

Question 27

What can counselors do to enhance the quality of the first session and build positive expectations about counseling outcomes for a client?

Question 28

The central component of motivational interviewing is to:

A)roll with resistance.
B)express empathy.
C)support self-efficacy. ​
D)develop discrepancy.

Question 29

Which of the following is not a common symptom of depression?

A)Feelings of anxiety and resentment
B)Difficulties with concentration and decision making
C)Feeling keyed-up and on edge
D)Changes in sleep patterns

Question 30

A ______________________ may conducted during the initial session or intake interview for the purpose of understanding a client's level of functioning and self-presentation.

A)detailed structured interview
B)self-administered checklist
C)mental status exam (MSE)
D)perception-presentation interview