Deck 8: Assessment: Self-Report and Projective Measures

Question 1

A behaviorally oriented psychologist is most likely to use:

A) self-report measure
B) projective personality test
C) Rorschach
D) TAT

Answer 1

self-report measure

Question 2

Understanding the variability in people's actions displayed across different situations could be useful to a behavioral psychologist in order to:

A) understand conditions in which symptoms are less severe
B) use this knowledge to increase involvement in situations in which the symptoms are lower
C) both A or B
D) neither A nor B

Answer 2

both A or B

Question 3

In addition to language, when interpreting a test to a client of an ethnic group for which the test has not been culturally validated the psychologist should also consider:

A) Immigration History & Contact with Other Cultural Groups
B) Acculturative Status & Acculturative Stress
C) Socioeconomic Status & Language
D) all of the above

Answer 3

all of the above

Question 4

One assumption about projective tests is that they:

A) are based on an objective scoring system
B) rely on an accurate subjective impression from the client
C) can provide valuable information about the clients personality based his/her responses
D) are accurate appraisals of the nature of experiences

Question 5

Having clinical utility implies that a measure:

A) is a useful tool to clinical psychologists
B) has replicated evidence that the measure increases important information about the clients psychological functioning
C) improves clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes
D) all of the above

Question 6

Using personality measures across cultural and ethnic groups is:

A) never appropriate, as these measures are inherently culturally biased
B) proving to be possible for a growing number of measures
C) appropriate since these measures are always created to be unbiased and relevant
D) None of the above

Question 7

Using projective personality tests to evaluate a clients minimization or exaggeration of psychological symptoms:

A) is not typically done is clinical psychology
B) is useful for identifying intentional misrepresentation
C) is useless, as projective tests are no less easily faked than behavior checklists
D) has produced inconclusive results in terms of its effectiveness in this area

Question 8

Which of the following is not true regarding personality traits:

A) they are evident across situations and time
B) they are likely influenced by genetics and life experiences
C) they tend to be inconsistent
D) understanding them can be useful for clinical practice

Question 9

In being able to predict human behavior, it appears that:

A) having information about personality characteristics is most important
B) having information about situational characteristics is most important
C) both a & b
D) neither a not b

Question 10

In order to determine if a test-taker was accurate in their responses, most personality inventories include a measure to see if the client was:

A) Emphasizing positive characteristics
B) emphasizing negative characteristics
C) responding randomly and inconsistently
D) all of the above

Question 11

Asking a client to complete an incomplete sentence is an example of a:

A) self-report measure
B) projective personality test
C) objective personality test
D) performance personality test

Question 12

If a testing measure has not been validated for use with members of particular ethnic group, the psychologist testing a person from that ethnic group should:

A) not administer any test
B) administer the test, but interpret the results cautiously
C) administer the test and interpret the results as normal
D) ignore the results if they differ from what is expected

Question 13

The Test of Memory Malingering was designed to assess whether or not:

A) the client has a personality disorder
B) environmental influences have affected the clients memory for an event
C) the client is intentionally exaggerating memory deficits
D) the memories the client has are negative of positive ones

Question 14

One concern about the extent to which assessment tools have kept pace with personality theory is:

A) advances in theory appear to have influenced interpretations of these older assessment
B) although theoretical perspectives of personality have advanced, historical perspectives may still bias how clinicians make decisions
C) The most commonly taught assessments are no longer used
D) The most commonly used assessments are no longer taught

Question 15

Using a test translated into Spanish may not be appropriate for all cultures that speak Spanish. This is because:

A) Reliability and validity data from one population may not necessarily generalize to other populations
B) subtle linguistic differences evident between cultural influences on the language might affect the respondent's interpretation of the test items.
C) there may not be adequate research support for using the test with the specific population
D) all of the above

Question 16

During the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the tester:

A) fills out an self-report inventory regarding personality features
B) interprets ambiguous pictures created by symmetrical black and white inkblots
C) creates a story for each of 31 pictures printed on cards
D) is asked about the severity of depressive symptoms in the past two weeks

Question 17

"Malingering" refers to the act of:

A) Emphasizing positive characteristics
B) emphasizing negative characteristics
C) responding randomly and inconsistently
D) all of the above

Question 18

The person-situation debate refers to the question of:

A) how much personality is dependent on traits of the person or the environmental situation
B) how much face validity personality assessments have
C) how much internal reliability personality assessments have
D) how a person will respond in an emergency situation

Question 19

A checklist of items given to a client regarding the nature, frequency, and severity of experiences is considered a:

A) self-report measure
B) projective personality test
C) objective personality test
D) evaluative personality test

Question 20

In translating and adapting a test for use in a second language, back translation refers to:

A) translating the items into the second language, then translating them back into the first language by a differed translator and comparing the two versions
B) conducting pilot testing of the translated measure to ensure it is comprehensible
C) re-standardizing scores on the measure using norms specific to the translated measure
D) establish construct validity between the two version to determine whether the instruments measure the same psychological qualities in both languages

Question 21

The reason so many assessments have little impact on psychological services is:

A) The validity of a test is conditional on the purpose for which it is being used and the population with which it is used
B) most of these instruments were originally designed for assessment, not intervention
C) instruments useful for evaluating personality characteristics or psychosocial functioning are not necessarily valid for determining optimal ways to enhance these areas
D) all of the above

Question 22

Regarding the clinical utility of psychological tests, research has shown that:

A) behavior and symptom checklists greatly influence the success of psychological treatments
B) behaviorally oriented assessment strategies with broad idiographic measurements in particular are clinically extremely useful
C) there is no scientific evidence that results of assessments like the MMPI or the Rorschach have a meaningful impact on the outcome of psychological services.
D) most of the research conducted has been on the degree to which personality tests are necessary for the success of psychological treatment.

Question 23

Research on the influence of a personality assessment (the MMPI-2) indicated that:

A) the results of the assessment had a significant effect on the number of sessions a patient attended
B) patients experienced greater outcome from treatment because of taking the assessment
C) patients experienced less satisfaction from the treatment after taking the assessment
D) the results of the assessment had no impact on the number of sessions offered or treatment outcome

Question 24

The newer version of the MMPI (the MMPI-2) has been:

A) criticized for its lack of coverage of psychological symptoms
B) criticized for its exclusion of a standardized sample
C) praised for its improved content
D) praised for its reduction in items

Question 25

An example of an applied research question regarding the utility of psychological assessments is:

A) whether or not the test works?
B) does the test have utility in actual clinical services?
C) is the test reliable?
D) is the test valid?

Question 26

One issue specific to MMPI test use with the test use with youth includes:

A) the reading level is too high
B) the norms are not suitable for use in interpreting scores obtained by adolescents
C) the test is way too long for youth to complete
D) all of the above

Question 27

The normative sample for the MCMI and MACI is representative in terms of demographics except it under-represents:

A) ethnic minority groups
B) higher socio-economic and educational levels
C) lower socio-economic and educational levels
D) certain geographical locations

Question 28

Adopting newer versions of an assessment often require the clinician to

A) purchase the new test
B) learn how to interpret the new assessment
C) purchase new scoring materials
D) all of the above

Question 29

The content approach to test construction involves:

A) drawing from the content of other validated measures in creating a new assessment
B) developing items specifically designed to tap the construct being assessed
C) choosing questions that discriminate groups
D) none of the above

Question 30

Among the most widely used self-report symptom checklists among internship students and clinical practitioners is:

A) MMPI
B) Rorschach Inkblot Test
C) Thematic Apperception Test
D) Beck Depression Inventory

Question 31

Development of the MMPI-2 was initiated by:

A) concerns over wording problems and outdated content of some items
B) attempts to improve the original test by using better test construction strategies
C) attempts to improve the nonrepresentativeness of the original normative comparison group
D) all of the above

Question 32

One of the most useful features of the MMPI-A is

A) its normative sample of adolescents
B) its inclusion of interactive activities to maintain attention
C) it's increased number of items
D) it's more technical wording

Question 33

Before the creation of tests such as the MMPI and MCMI, diagnosing a patient required:

A) a great deal of time
B) a great deal of effort
C) a great deal of expense
D) all of the above

Question 34

Because of underrepresentation in the American normative sample for the MMPI-2, there may be a tendency to over-pathologize patients from:

A) certain ethnicity groups
B) higher socio-economic and educational levels
C) lower socio-economic and educational levels
D) certain geographical locations

Question 35

The first step in interpreting the MMPI is to examine the:

A) examine the validity scales to determine the degree to which responses may have been biased
B) examine the categorizing the test profile into code types
C) consider factors related to age and life context
D) consider factors related to ethnicity

Question 36

Which of the following is a major concern regarding the MCMI-III:

A) test-retest scores
B) internal consistency
C) the use of inmates for creation of a normative sample
D) item overlap among and between scales

Question 37

The MCMI-III and the MACI were not developed to:

A) assess clinical syndromes
B) assess those with no psychological problems
C) assess clinical personality patterns
D) assess adolescents

Question 38

Compared with predictive validity evidence from other health care assessments, the results for many psychological tests appear:

A) not similar at all, suggesting that psychological tests are not very useful in health care settings
B) moderately similar, suggesting that the success of psychological tests is context dependent
C) very similar, suggesting that psychological tests may be as useful as other commonly used health care assessments
D) are extremely valid and have a great impact on the difference in treatment provision and outcome

Question 39

The various versions of the MMPI and MCMI are frequently used by clinicians because:

A) they are brief, highly accessible, and easy to administer
B) they often indicate the best course for treatment
C) they emphasize personality styles and disorders and are keyed to the DSM conditions
D) none of the above

Question 40

Which of the following is not true regarding administration of the MMPI-2 to the test-taker:

A) the test taker must be free of visual impairments
B) the test-taker must have a reading comprehension at the grade 8 or 9 level
C) audiotaped versions of the test are available for those with severe visual impairments
D) some psychiatric patients may require up to 4 hours to take the test

Question 41

All of the flowing are true regarding The California Psychological Inventory (CPI) except that:

A) it focuses on interpersonal patterns and skills within the normal range of functioning
B) it is composed of scales that measure constructs such as dominance, empathy, tolerance, and flexibility
C) research conducted on the CPI has been minimal
D) approximately one-third of its questions also appear on the MMPI

Question 42

All projective measures have in common:

A) that all the items or stimuli are ambiguous with respect to content and meaning
B) the use of abstract pictures
C) objective scoring measures
D) a clear right or wrong answer

Question 43

The NEO Personality Inventory- Revised (NEO PI-R) contains items pertaining to all of the following personality factors except:

A) extroversion
B) neuroticism
C) psychoticism
D) conscientiousness

Question 44

Caution around the use of the MACI to assess adolescents stems from all of the following except:

A) more research is needed to establish the validity of the inventory
B) test norms are based on a very small sample size
C) the research which has been done has been conducted primarily by the test developer
D) the limited research restricts the extent to which new information can be added to the knowledge base on which interpretation of the inventory is based.

Question 45

The BDI-II is designed to evaluate the severity of ______________ in the past two weeks

A) manic symptoms
B) depressive symptoms
C) hallucinations
D) delusions

Question 46

The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R):

A) is probably the most widely used general measure of distress in clinical service delivery settings
B) is a 90-item measure covering a range of symptom dimensions
C) contains nine subscales
D) all of the above