Deck 3: Assessment and Diagnosis

Question 1

Which of the following does the mental status exam NOT assess?

A) muscle tone
B) appearance and actions
C) emotion
D) cognition

Answer 1

muscle tone

Question 2

Which of the following is true about reports of child behavior?

A) Different sources tend to have highly correlating reports of behavior, so typically only one source is necessary.
B) Children tend to report lower levels of psychological problems and behavioral symptoms than parents and teachers, across all disorders.
C) Children tend to overreport anxiety and mood problems, compared to teachers and parents, but teachers and parents tend to overreport disruptive behavior problems, compared to children.
D) Teachers and parents tend to overreport anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to children, and children tend to overreport disruptive behavior problems, compared to teachers and parents.

Answer 2

Children tend to overreport anxiety and mood problems, compared to teachers and parents, but teachers and parents tend to overreport disruptive behavior problems, compared to children.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT true of stigma of mental illness?

A) It can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.
B) It can cause a sense of shame or degradation that decreases self-esteem and lowers self-worth.
C) It has been shown to increase the likelihood that families will seek psychological services so they can have excuses for their children's poor behavior.
D) It can be exacerbated by the way the media covers those with mental illness.

Answer 3

It has been shown to increase the likelihood that families will seek psychological services so they can have excuses for their children's poor behavior.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of Jerome Sattler's four components of psychological assessment?

A) diagnostic interviews
B) projective tests
C) behavioral observations
D) informal data gathering

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT true of clinically significant impairment?

A) It is required for diagnosis of almost every disorder in the DSM-5.
B) It is considered by some to be a vague term.
C) Clinically significant impairment is the kind of impairment that a clinician considers severe enough to need treatment.
D) It is synonymous with impairment in work functioning.

Question 6

Which of the following is true of a clinical interview?

A) It always takes multiple sessions to complete.
B) It usually involves the child and his or her parents and sometimes other individuals knowledgeable about the child's functioning.
C) It always occurs during the first session.
D) If parents and children are both interviewed, they are always interviewed separately.

Question 7

Which of the following examples displays insight but not judgment,with respect to the cognition portion of the mental status exam?

A) Billie agrees that her purging after meals is a problem but doesn't believe it's a very big problem.
B) Natasha doesn't agree with her parents that her cannabis use is a problem, though she does agree not to use it in their house.
C) Antonio's biggest wish is that he wouldn't feel compelled to wash his hands so frequently, and he'd do anything to stop but doesn't know how.
D) Martin wishes everyone would stop talking about him and let him be alone with his thoughts.

Question 8

Why is multimethod assessment important?

A) It helps the clinician obtain a more complete picture of children's functioning.
B) It compensates for invalid norm-referenced tests.
C) It allows clinicians to skip certain methods.
D) It allows clinicians to avoid conducting interviews.

Question 9

Mikhail is deliberately lying about other children and tearing up their work in the classroom.He has been repeatedly sent to the principal and his teacher is concerned about the effects of the disruptive behavior on the other students in the class.Which of the following would be the primary reason for assessment in Mikhail's case?

A) to screen him for a disorder
B) to reach a diagnosis
C) to plan treatment
D) to remove him from the situation entirely and permanently

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT one of the primary activities of mental health practitioners?

A) research
B) assessment
C) diagnosis
D) treatment

Question 11

A child who jumps from one idea to another,seemingly unconnected,idea when speaking would most likely be having challenges with thought ______,assessed in the ______ section of the mental status exam.

A) content; appearance and actions
B) process; appearance and actions
C) content; cognition
D) process; cognition

Question 12

What is the goal of the Research Domain Criteria initiative?

A) to construct more accurate diagnostic criteria for the next edition of the DSM
B) to utilize psychotherapy (talking cures) to better address the treatment of the disorders in the DSM-5
C) to use genetic and biomedical research to identify the underlying causes of disorders in order to provide more effective treatments
D) to provide the most complete understanding of the prevalence of each disorder in the United States and abroad

Question 13

Which of the following is the best example of a multimethod assessment?

A) A psychologist asks a parent and a teacher to complete a rating scale about a child's behavior.
B) A psychologist observes a child at school and then asks a teacher to complete a rating scale about the child's behavior at home.
C) A psychologist gathers data from parents about the child's behavior at home, at school, and at home on the weekend.
D) A psychologist uses self-report questionnaires from parents, teachers, and the child to assess the child's mood.

Question 14

Billy has seen a psychologist,and during his mental status exam,he seems quite cheery.He even laughs repeatedly when talking about how he's been living in a shelter and sometimes doesn't have enough to eat.Which of the following is likely true of Billy?

A) A mental status exam would likely determine that Billy has no psychological disturbances.
B) Billy seems to be displaying inappropriate affect, which would be seen in the cognition aspect of the mental status exam.
C) Billy seems to be displaying inappropriate mood, which would be seen in the emotions aspect of the mental status exam.
D) Billy seems to be displaying inappropriate affect, which would be seen in the emotions aspect of the mental status exam.

Question 15

Wonje is suspected of having ADHD.Wonje's clinician wants to be sure to interview Wonje's parents,teachers,coaches,and Wonje himself to better understand Wonje's behavior in different situations.This is referred to as ______.

A) behavioral observation
B) multi-informant assessment
C) informal data gathering
D) multimethod assessment

Question 16

Which is true of behavioral observation?

A) It is not necessary if there are parental reports of the child's behavior.
B) It can be fully assessed by informally observing the child's behavior in the clinic.
C) The clinician can observe analog tasks to mimic the situations in which children engage in daily life.
D) Naturalistic observations are most commonly used by clinicians who work in hospitals.

Question 17

Malik is a linebacker on his high school football team.He just took a hard hit.Lying on the ground,when he opens his eyes,one of the first questions his coach asks him is,"Do you know where you are?" The coach is trying to assess Malik's ______.

A) appearance and actions
B) thought content
C) orientation
D) emotion

Question 18

Whereas DSM-5 diagnosis is based largely on ______,the proposed Research Domain Criteria classification system is to be based on ______.

A) antecedents; consequences
B) signs and symptoms; underlying causes
C) underlying causes; treatment outcomes
D) distress; impairment

Question 19

A therapist asks a mother and child to work on a puzzle together in the clinic playroom and watches their interaction when they discover that there's a piece missing.This might be considered ______.

A) informal data gathering
B) a naturalistic observation
C) an analog task
D) mental status exam

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a primary purpose of assessment?

A) to gather data for future studies of disorders
B) to screen children for possible problems
C) to reach a diagnosis
D) to plan treatment

Question 21

Which rating scale would be the most targeted assessment for ADHD?

A) ASRS
B) Conners 3
C) Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale
D) ASEBA

Question 22

Which of the following is true of the DSM and the ICD?

A) They had low agreement for all disorders in the former editions, but the new editions (DSM-5 and ICD-10) have high agreement for all disorders.
B) They had low agreement for all disorders in the former editions, and despite efforts by the creators of DSM-5, the agreement remains low.
C) The concordance between DSM-5 and ICD-11 is higher than in previous editions.
D) DSM-5 and ICD-11 are now in perfect agreement with respect to names of and criteria for disorders.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT true about IQ?

A) It is normally distributed.
B) Its standard deviation is 15.
C) About 2.2% of people have scores below 70.
D) A score of 130 is considered average.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a potential benefit of diagnosis in children?

A) prediction
B) planning treatment
C) focusing on individuals
D) facilitating scientific discovery

Question 25

Norm-referenced testing ______.

A) allows for the translation of a raw score into a measure of functioning relative to others who are similar on certain characteristics
B) prevents the translation of a raw score into a measure of functioning relative to others of the person's age
C) requires that performance of a single child be tested multiple times
D) uses the same, standard comparison group for all children

Question 26

Which is true of scoring on the standard achievement test,the Woodcock-Johnson?

A) The scoring on each of the three achievement domains has a mean of 50.
B) A score 1 standard deviation below the mean indicates a specific learning disability.
C) A score 1.5 standard deviations below the mean might indicate a specific learning disability.
D) The three achievement domains are highly correlated, such that it is almost impossible for someone to receive a substantially lower score in one domain than the others.

Question 27

What is the distinction between an intelligence test and an achievement test?

A) There is no difference; they are two terms for the same thing.
B) An intelligence test measures verbal comprehension, while an achievement test never does.
C) An intelligence tests measures what a person already knows, while an achievement test measures the highest level of learning they could achieve.
D) An intelligence test measures a person's capacity to learn, while an achievement test measures what a person has already learned and retained.

Question 28

Which of the following is true of MMPI-A-RF scoring,as compared with intelligence and achievement tests?

A) Like intelligence and achievement tests, the standard score is 100.
B) Like intelligence and achievement tests, low scores indicate greater dysfunction.
C) Like intelligence and achievement tests, the standard deviation is 10.
D) Like achievement tests, a score 1.5 standard deviations from the mean indicates significant problems.

Question 29

Diagnosis can be useful because it helps clinicians describe the child's condition simply.This is known as ______.

A) clinical communication
B) parsimony
C) prediction
D) testimony

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT an index on the WISC-V?

A) abstract reasoning
B) working memory
C) fluid reasoning
D) processing speed

Question 31

The Woodcock-Johnson (WJ-IV) ______.

A) is an intelligence test
B) measures working memory and processing speed explicitly
C) can be used to contribute toward a diagnosis of learning disorders
D) has a subsection for understanding science

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT one of the three domains assessed on the MMPI-Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF)?

A) emotional/internalizing dysfunction
B) interpersonal dysfunction
C) behavioral/externalizing dysfunction
D) thought dysfunction

Question 33

A father is complaining that his daughter is "acting out." After discussion,the therapist defines acting out as the production of temper outbursts,including verbal and physical aggressive acts such as high-volume shouting and punching or kicking.Which of the following is NOT true?

A) Acting out is a vague term.
B) The therapist has operationally defined acting out.
C) The clearer definition of acting out could allow the clinician to perform a functional analysis of the behavior.
D) The punching or kicking is the consequence.

Question 34

To be diagnosed with ADHD,one must meet a minimum of six symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity.Jordan has five symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity.Which of the following is true?

A) Jordan must not need support services at school, otherwise he would be diagnosable.
B) The diagnosis of ADHD categorically excludes Jordan from a diagnosis.
C) Because Jordan doesn't meet full criteria for ADHD, he is very unlikely to experience significant distress and impairment.
D) Jordan likely differs appreciably from children who fully meet diagnostic criteria.

Question 35

A clinician observes a mother-child dyad in an analog task.In a playroom,the mother is advised to switch from playing with one toy to playing with another every 5 minutes.The therapist notices that when the mother does not give clear warning of the switch,her child tantrums.When he tantrums,the mother soothes him by returning to the original toy.Which is the following is NOT true?

A) The clinician may be performing a functional analysis.
B) The failure to provide time for the child to process the transition may be the antecedent.
C) The tantrum is the consequence.
D) The mother's response to the tantrum is reinforcing.

Question 36

The Achenbach System for Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA)is ______.

A) a self-report tool
B) used to measure intelligence and achievement
C) a behavior rating scale
D) not valid for children under the age of 12

Question 37

Intelligence ______.

A) is innate
B) involves both abstract thinking and knowledge
C) has been defined in the same ways for over 200 years
D) cannot be reliably measured in children

Question 38

Which is NOT one of the main differences between the MMPI-A-RF and the BASC-3?

A) The BASC-3 can be conducted as a semistructured interview.
B) The BASC-3 can be conducted with younger children.
C) The BASC-3 is scored with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10.
D) The BASC-3 has different subscales than the MMPI-A-RF.

Question 39

Beliefs that other people are essentially bad would be reported on which restructured clinical scale in the MMPI-Adolescent-Restructured Form?

A) low positive emotions
B) cynicism
C) antisocial behavior
D) dysfunctional negative emotions

Question 40

Mimi has anorexia nervosa,an eating disorder.In therapy,Mimi confides in her therapist that she cannot get better now because her parents work together to help her get well; and when she is better,she worries they'll divorce (they were on the brink of divorce before her relapse).Which of the following potential limitations of diagnosis does this illustrate?

A) The DSM-5 does not adequately reflect the individual's environmental context.
B) The DSM-5 makes somewhat arbitrary distinctions between normality and abnormality.
C) The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria are subjective and value-laden.
D) The DSM-5 diagnosis can perpetuate stigma.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT true of specifiers?

A) They allow clinicians to provide additional information about their clients.
B) They describe a relatively homogeneous subgroup of individuals with the disorder.
C) They are always based on symptom presentation.
D) They may be necessary because of the prototypical approach to diagnosis.

Question 42

Validity is not a property of tests; rather,validity is a property of using a test for a specific purpose.

Question 43

An IQ of 100 is considered normal and anything other than 100 is considered abnormal.

Question 44

Intelligence and achievement are two words for the same thing; intelligence refers to nonacademic domains and achievement refers to the scholastic domain.

Question 45

If 95% of the children who score highly on an inventory of disruptive behavior turn out to have a diagnosable disruptive behavior problem,which of the following is NOT necessarily true?

A) There is a 5% false positive rate.
B) The test has low negative predictive power.
C) The test has high positive predictive power.
D) The test has good criterion-related validity.

Question 46

Not many experts consider diet to be relevant to a diagnosis of depression.If a depressive inventory asked multiple questions about fruits and vegetables and food additives,this would call into question which of the following?

A) test-retest reliability of the inventory
B) the content validity of the inventory
C) the inter-rater reliability of the inventory
D) the internal consistency of the inventory

Question 47

To correct a criticism of DSM-IV,in DSM-5,disorders are no longer conceptualized as existing within the person,but instead between systems of people in transaction with one another.

Question 48

To be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa,an individual must (a)be taking in so little food that the person is below the weight minimally normal,(b)have an "intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat,or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain,even though at a significantly low weight," and(c)have "disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced,undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation,or persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current low body weight." Which of the following is true of these criteria?

A) If someone fails to meet Criterion A, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a prototypical approach to classification.
B) If someone fails to meet Criterion A, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a categorical approach to classification.
C) If someone does not have an intense fear of gaining weight, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a prototypical approach to classification.
D) If someone does not have an intense fear of gaining weight, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a categorical approach to classification.

Question 49

The developers of DSM-5 changed the order of the manual to emphasize the development of psychopathology across the life span,added diagnostic criteria that are specific to children and to adults,and described how disorders might present differently across the lifespan to solve what problem with DSM-IV?

A) It was unclear which disorders could be diagnosed in children in DSM-IV.
B) DSM-IV created a sometimes inaccurate perception of a boundary between disorders for children and adults.
C) DSM-IV neglected all mention of childhood disorders.
D) DSM-IV didn't recognize that adults could receive every diagnosis within it.

Question 50

Helping caregivers is a benefit of appropriately diagnosing children with psychological disorders.

Question 51

When preparing the DSM-5,which of the following approaches was NOT used?

A) formal interviews with individuals currently diagnosed with the disorders in DSM-IV
B) literature reviews of research on each disorder
C) reanalysis of previously collected data to determine the potential effects of altering diagnostic criteria on prevalence rates
D) field trials

Question 52

A college professor in a childhood disorders class gives extra credit on the basis of who answers questions correctly on an 80s-music quiz at the start of the class.Which of the following is likely NOT true of this approach?

A) This approach has low content validity because 80s music is not relevant to childhood disorders.
B) This approach would likely have low convergent validity with exam scores in childhood disorders.
C) This approach would likely have low predictive validity of future exam scores in childhood disorders.
D) This approach would likely have low test-retest reliability because multiple students might give different answers to the same question.

Question 53

Research Domain Criteria and the DSM-5 have the same general approach to conceptualizing mental disorders.

Question 54

The main difference between concurrent validity and predictive validity is that ______.

A) only predictive validity is a type of criterion-related validity
B) only predictive validity examines the power to predict the existence of a disorder
C) only predictive validity refers to theoretically expected outcomes and not the present
D) only predictive validity really matters in a clinical setting

Question 55

One criticism of the DSM-5 is that the distinctions between normal and abnormal are often arbitrary.

Question 56

Behavioral observations are only necessary for assessing behavioral disturbances,not mood or cognitive problems.

Question 57

A psychologist is developing a new test of reasoning.He notices that while individuals tend to score the same across multiple administrations of the test,there are particular test items that seem to give everyone trouble,irrespective of how well they score on the test overall.It seems that all the items that give individuals trouble use particularly advanced vocabulary words.Which of the following is NOT true?

A) This test has low test-retest reliability.
B) The items on the test that everyone scores poorly on are not valid measures of the construct of reasoning.
C) The test does not have particularly strong internal consistency.
D) Removing the items that don't seem to contribute to the overall score would likely improve the test.

Question 58

Symptoms are observable,overt features of disorder.

Question 59

Which classification approach allows a clinician to convey the severity of the condition?

A) full-spectrum assessment
B) categorical classification
C) prototypical classification
D) dimensional classification

Question 60

If a test does not have high test-retest reliability,it cannot be valid.

Question 61

What is the difference between test-retest reliability and internal consistency of a psychological test?

Question 62

In what way(s)can diagnostic classification facilitate scientific discovery?

Question 63

Why is it important that tests used in clinical settings be standardized?

Question 64

Why do clinicians rely on data from multiple methods and multiple informants whenever possible?

Question 65

How are hypotheses relevant in the process of psychological assessment?

Question 66

In what ways can stigma lead to self-fulfilling prophecy?

Question 67

Describing a color as "bluish-green" reflects a dimensional approach to categorization.

Question 68

A person can be diagnosed with learning disabilities on the basis of the Woodcock-Johnson alone.

Question 69

Compare and contrast categorical classification with dimensional classification.What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Question 70

What is the difference between psychological assessment and diagnosis?