Deck 6: Assessment: Interviewing and Observation

Question 1

Which of the following is most accurate regarding open and closed questions?

A) Open questions are typically more advantageous than closed questions.
B) Open questions are easier to ask than closed questions.
C) Closed questions are typically more advantageous than closed questions.
D) Each type of question has advantages and disadvantages.

Answer 1

Each type of question has advantages and disadvantages.

Question 2

The vast majority of assessment interviews are

A) structured.
B) semi-structured.
C) unstructured.
D) multi-structured.

Answer 2

unstructured.

Question 3

The Dominic Interactive is a diagnostic interview for children aged 6 to11 years,which uses ____________ as cues.

A) cartoon drawings
B) colours
C) animals
D) puppets

Answer 3

cartoon drawings

Question 4

Based on non-verbal behaviour,a psychologist may observe a discrepancy in which of the following scenarios:

A) The client is sitting still and smiling while reporting being happy.
B) The client describes a recent argument while gripping the edge of his/her chair.
C) The client reports being satisfied with his/her relationship while agitatedly tapping his/her toes.
D) The client reports having an affair and covering his/her face and crying.

Question 5

The most widely used diagnostic interview in North America is the

A) Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders.
B) Structured Clinical Interview for Axis II Disorders.
C) Primary Care Evaluation of Professional Mental Disorders.
D) Dominic Interactive.

Question 6

Which objective(s)apply to both an assessment interview and a psychotherapeutic interview?

A) To establish and maintain a professional relationship.
B) To guide and promote behavioural, cognitive, and emotional change.
C) To obtain information necessary to formulate a diagnosis, develop a case formulation, determine treatment options (including possible need for referral)
D) To ensure that sufficient information is gathered in a relatively brief time period (often one or two sessions).

Question 7

"Who lives in your apartment?" is an example of a(n)

A) open question.
B) closed question.
C) possibly open or closed question.
D) mixed-type question.

Question 8

Closed questions often facilitate

A) long, tangential stories.
B) complex, ambiguous answers.
C) brief and rapid coverage of many topics.
D) elaborate and detailed responses.

Question 9

Semi-structured diagnostic interviews were developed primarily to

A) help mental health professionals agree on the general features of a disorder.
B) help the client feel more comfortable in the interview setting.
C) improve inter-rater reliability in assigning diagnoses among mental health professionals.
D) all of the above.

Question 10

The SCID-5 Clinical Version begins with

A) the evaluation of personality disorders.
B) closed questions discussing demographic information.
C) open-ended questions discussing demographic information.
D) discussing mental health problems associated with less stigma.

Question 11

Which of the following has (have)been used to help with interviewing children?

A) Visual analogue such as a feelings thermometer.
B) Providing specific response options to questions.
C) Asking the toughest questions first.
D) Providing an abundance of toys to distract the child.

Question 12

The limits of confidentiality should be introduced by the psychologist

A) before the client enters into an agreement to receive psychological services.
B) as early as possible in the provision of psychological services.
C) when the client reports something that cannot be kept confidential.
D) once the therapeutic alliance is developed.

Question 13

A psychologist cannot maintain confidentiality when

A) s/he suspects a child is in need of protection.
B) s/he suspects an older adult living alone is being exploited financially.
C) a lawyer asks to see the psychologist's file.
D) all of the above.

Question 14

"Do you feel better after taking some deep breaths?" is an example of a question that is

A) open.
B) closed
C) mixed-type
D) leading

Question 15

Unstructured clinical assessment interviews _____________ regular conversations.

A) do not follow a script and should be the same as
B) do not follow a script and are distinct from
C) follow a script and should be the same as
D) follow a script and are distinct from

Question 16

Clinical assessment interviews differ from social conversations in that

A) clinical assessment interviews are more free-flowing than are social conversations.
B) clinical assessment interviews do not involve reciprocally sharing of information between client and psychologist.
C) in social conversations, friends are more likely to interrupt each other, whereas in a clinical assessment interview, the psychologist shows greater patience.
D) none of the above

Question 17

What is a challenging feature of administering diagnostic interviews to children?

A) Children are typically unable to provide reliable information about their experiences.
B) The adaptations of diagnostic interviews for use with children, such as the use of visual cues, are still too complex for most children to understand.
C) Most interviews for children have a parallel version completed by parents, rendering disagreement between these reports difficult to interpret.
D) All of the above.

Question 18

In conducting assessment interviews with children,psychologists now recognize that children

A) can provide important and reliable information.
B) are less reliable than adults in their reporting.
C) should only be interviewed if the information cannot be obtained from other sources.
D) can easily complete scaled-down versions of interviews developed for adults.

Question 19

During a clinical interview,many psychologists find it useful to begin a discussion with

A) open-ended questions and follow up with closed questions to clarify details.
B) closed questions and follow up with open-ended questions to explore more topics.
C) a variety of closed and open-ended questions, depending on how much time there is.
D) closed ended questions and only ask open-ended questions for clarification.

Question 20

The strength of the SCID-5 lies in _____________; its weakness is ______________.

A) the breadth of the disorders it covers; the variable reliabilities that are obtained for different disorders
B) strong validity data; the variable reliabilities that are obtained for different disorders
C) strong validity data; the breadth of the disorders it covers
D) the short time it takes to complete; the variable reliabilities that are obtained for different disorders

Question 21

Early in an assessment interview,cognitive-behavioural psychologists ask questions to

A) obtain a behavioural description of the problem.
B) determine the cognitive underpinnings of the problem.
C) explore childhood antecedents of the problem.
D) determine the underlying basis for the problem.

Question 22

Research on the use of dolls in interviews has found that they

A) help pre-school age children provide more accurate accounts.
B) increase both detail and number of errors in children's statements.
C) secure more convictions of sexual predators.
D) decrease both detail and number of errors in children's statements.

Question 23

"Tell me what you mean by that." is an example of which interview technique?

A) Clarification.
B) Nondirective reflection of feeling.
C) Paraphrasing.
D) Attending behaviour.

Question 24

Which of the following is/are true regarding the importance of routine screening of whether a client has been a witness to and/or a victim of violence:

A) The psychologist must consider the context in which exposure to violence screening is conducted.
B) The psychologist may interpret the individual's symptoms differently if the individual has been exposed to violence.
C) The psychologist must ask in a sensitive way.
D) All of the above.

Question 25

Compared to the general population,older adults are more likely to face issues around which of the following?

A) Loss of autonomy.
B) Schizophrenia.
C) Anxiety.
D) Personality disorders.

Question 26

In delivering psychological services to older adults psychologists ought to

A) be aware of the possibility of cognitive changes.
B) assess the client's ability to provide informed consent.
C) Integrate data from multiple informants about the client's functioning.
D) all of the above.

Question 27

"When the two of you fight,you do things that you are not comfortable with,that you don't like." is an example of which interview technique?

A) Clarification.
B) Non-directive reflection of feeling.
C) Attending behaviour.
D) Paraphrase.

Question 28

Problem definition questions address

A) frequency of the problem.
B) duration of the problem.
C) intensity of the problem.
D) all of the above.

Question 29

When a client discloses painful,frightening,or embarrassing experiences,it is appropriate for the psychologist to

A) remain silent and maintain a neutral facial expression.
B) listen respectfully, non-judgmentally, and provide support.
C) provide the client with feedback on what the interviewer considers personally appropriate.
D) indicate judgment or pity if the interviewer deems it important information for the client.

Question 30

Which of the following is a non-directive listening skill used by psychologists?

A) Summarization.
B) Leaning back.
C) Questioning.
D) Standing up.

Question 31

When completing a suicide risk assessment,the psychologist ought to focus questions upon the

A) client's history of suicidal behaviour and current suicidal thoughts.
B) degree to which the client has concrete plans to commit suicide.
C) client's access to the means to carry out suicide.
D) all of the above.

Question 32

Which of the following is true about direct observation of client behaviour:

A) Observational coding systems developed in research settings have become increasingly used in clinical practice.
B) It can add important information that is not easily obtained in self-report data.
C) It is unreliable as clients always behave better than usual when they know they are being observed.
D) It is useful in the confirmation of clinical hypotheses.

Question 33

Small slights,misunderstandings,and unwarranted assumptions based on stereotypes on the part of the psychologist that can have a substantial negative impact on the alliance with clients and on the clients' overall therapy experience are referred to in therapy as

A) microaggressions.
B) cultural presumptions.
C) unintended aggression.
D) cultural blind spots.

Question 34

There is emerging evidence that interpreter-mediated services

A) are never effective.
B) are harmful to recipients.
C) can be effective.
D) are not suitable for children.

Question 35

As young children do not have the same sense of __________as adults do,it is helpful to anchor interview questions for children to special events in their lives.

A) time
B) emotional content
C) maturity
D) sophisticated vocabulary

Question 36

Children ________ entitled to know about confidentiality and its limits:

A) are not
B) are
C) are sometimes
D) are rarely

Question 37

Treatment goals should:

A) be important to the client.
B) be phrased in terms of feelings, thoughts and behaviours to be reduced.
C) be substantial and long-term.
D) be expressed in vague terms so that they can easily be adapted.

Question 38

Screening for partner abuse

A) may be conducted conjointly with both members of a couple to observe the nature of their interactions.
B) must be conducted individually, in order for each person to feel safe disclosing abuse.
C) is always completed before either individual or couples treatment can begin.
D) is completed at the mid-point of treatment to determine whether new strategies need to be integrated into the treatment plan.

Question 39

Contextual information gathered during the assessment interview may include information about the client's

A) current context, such as living arrangement or school/work responsibilities.
B) developmental history.
C) medical history and previous psychological services.
D) all of the above.

Question 40

When a psychologist rephrases a client's expressed emotion,such as "It sounds like that event was very difficult and upsetting for you," this type of non-directive listening response is referred to as

A) summarization.
B) non-directive reflection of feeling.
C) attending behaviour.
D) a sensory-based paraphrase.

Question 41

___________________ refers to strategies that allow research participants and clients to report repeatedly on what is happening for them in real time.

A) Self-awareness enhancement
B) Ecological momentary assessment
C) Reactivity
D) Behavioural activation

Question 42

List one reason why direct observation of a client may be desirable to a psychologist who is conducting an assessment.List one potential drawback or complication to direct observation as part of an assessment.

Question 43

A client is asked to monitor her intake of alcohol and immediately starts to consume less alcohol after the recording of her behaviour begins.This is an example of:

A) self-monitoring.
B) reactivity.
C) the extraneous effects of self-observation.
D) a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 44

A client is asked to systematically keep track of his/her thoughts every time s/he consumes marijuana.This is referred to as:

A) a self-monitoring strategy.
B) an observation strategy.
C) a contextually relevant strategy.
D) a self-imposed strategy.

Question 45

Provide the main distinction between open and closed questions,as well as one disadvantage of each.

Question 46

Describe three key differences between a clinical assessment interview and a regular social conversation.

Question 47

Self-monitoring data can sometimes be inaccurate because the client may

A) not have fully understood the instructions or purpose.
B) wish to hide undesirable thoughts or behaviours.
C) may fail to record information at the appropriate time.
D) all of the above.

Question 48

Within the context of the clinical assessment interview,name two behaviours described in the text that are likely to be culturally influenced.Provide two ways of interpreting each of the behaviours.

Question 49

List two different types of non-directive listening responses and provide a brief description of each.

Question 50

What is the most widely used structured clinical interview in North America? Describe this interview protocol,commenting on reliability and validity.

Question 51

List two potential considerations when interviewing children and/or adolescents.

Question 52

Which semi-structured interview is designed to assess anxiety and comorbid disorders exclusively? Comment on reliability,validity,and one advantage over using a more general interview schedule.

Question 53

The association between self-report measures and self-monitoring assessments has been shown to be

A) nonsignificant.
B) very weak.
C) moderate.
D) very strong.

Question 54

A change in the phenomenon being monitored that is due to the process of monitoring the phenomenon is referred to as:

A) a self-fulfilling prophecy.
B) self-awareness enhancement.
C) reactivity.
D) self-monitored change.

Question 55

Describe two of the instances in which a psychologist is required to break confidentiality.

Question 56

Why do clinical interviewers need to be especially sensitive when they are questioning and interpreting responses of clients who have been exposed to violence? Describe two reasons.

Question 57

Self-monitoring strategies can provide information on

A) the baseline rate of a problem or behaviour.
B) conditions that may provoke or maintain problem behaviour.
C) behaviour that the psychologist cannot observe in session.
D) all of the above.

Question 58

Self-monitoring strategies refer to

A) strategies for clients to anonymously share their behaviours with other clients.
B) strategies for clients to observe themselves in a systematic manner.
C) strategies for psychologists to monitor their treatment efficacy.
D) none of the above.

Question 59

Self-monitoring can involve

A) recording occurrences of symptoms.
B) tracking efforts to manage symptoms.
C) Keeping a log of efforts to curtail symptoms
D) all of the above.

Question 60

List two potential issues for psychologists to be mindful of when they are assessing or treating specifically older adults.

Question 61

List two benefits and two drawbacks of including self-monitoring strategies as part of a psychological services?