Deck 6: Assessment: Interviewing and Observation

Question 1

A major weakness(es) of the SCID is are:

A) it has variable reliabilities depending on the disorder
B) it can encourage participants to minimize their problems (to speed up the interview)
C) it can be very time-consuming to administer
D) all of the above

Answer 1

all of the above

Question 2

The Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS IV)

A) focuses on anxiety disorders only
B) includes disorders which are commonly comorbid with anxiety disorders
C) lacks sufficient reliability and validity
D) has been designed for adults only

Answer 2

includes disorders which are commonly comorbid with anxiety disorders

Question 3

An example of an open question is:

A) Do you kiss your partner?
B) Does your dad live with you?
C) Were you happy to learn you were pregnant?
D) How do you express anger?

Answer 3

How do you express anger?

Question 4

Interviews are often used to gather information in order to:

A) make a diagnosis
B) define the problem
C) set goals
D) all of the above

Question 5

Open questions are ones in which:

A) the client is able to provide more elaborate responses
B) a rigid or particular response is not suggested
C) more time is often required to answer
D) all of the above

Question 6

Structured interviews:

A) have a specific sequence in which questions are asked
B) were developed to address issues of inter-rater reliability in assigning diagnoses
C) may still need follow-up questions to help confirm or rule out a possible diagnosis
D) all of the above

Question 7

A major limitation of Dominic is that it:

A) has poor test- retest reliability
B) has poor criterion validity
C) does not yield all the information required for a diagnosis
D) requires more attention than most children can handle

Question 8

In wording a question, the psychologist must be careful not to:

A) ask about difficult issues such as suicide as this may enhance the likelihood or suicidal behavior
B) ask leading questions as this may put words in the clients mouth
C) persist with a line of questioning
D) ask the client to elaborate or explain responses because it should be clear from the initial response

Question 9

Therapeutic self-disclosure is a technique which:

A) should never be used in clinical assessment interviews
B) may facilitate a positive therapeutic alliance
C) is a fancy term for sharing personal information you would only share with a close friend
D) is a good way to gain approval from the client

Question 10

A major problem in using diagnostic interviews with children is:

A) the length of the interview
B) the demand on attention capacity
C) the precision of responses required
D) all of the above

Question 11

Modifications to interview formats have provided evidence that:

A) children are able to reliably report on their personality traits
B) an extensive vocabulary is needed in order to express different gradations of feelings
C) children have trouble reporting on anxiety and depression
D) all of the above

Question 12

To indicate that the psychologist is on track with the patient during the conversation, the psychologist may:

A) periodically paraphrase what the client is saying
B) make emotional reflections regarding the clients nonverbal behavior or affect
C) use nonverbal behavior such as nods, eye contact, and vocalizations
D) all of the above

Question 13

Researchers developed the diagnostic interview Dominic to:

A) better asses children between the ages 6- 11
B) be adaptable to gender, age, ethnic background, and language of the child
C) assess how children say they would behave in particular situations
D) all of the above

Question 14

The following are all examples of instances in which confidentiality may be broken legally without consent, except:

A) when it is suspected that a child may be in need of protection
B) when a client may be in danger of harming his or her self or someone else
C) when a third party, such as a school board or insurance company, requests a psychological assessment
D) when the court subpoena's psychological reports and records

Question 15

Closed questions often encourage:

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

Question 16

Ecological momentary assessment utilizes tools to assess:

A) the ecology of one's physical environment
B) in-the-moment experiences
C) after-the-fact reflections
D) before-the-moment predictions

Question 17

An example of a closed question is:

A) how do you show affection?
B) who lives at your house?
C) were you happy to learn you were pregnant?
D) how do you express anger?

Question 18

One advantage of The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) is:

A) It is a rapid screening tool
B) It has good support for its reliability and validity
C) It has been translated into many languages
D) All of the above

Question 19

Based on nonverbal behavior, a psychologist may observe a discrepancy in which of the following scenarios:

A) The client reports that she is happy while sitting still and smiling
B) The client describes an argument he had while griping the edge of his chair
C) The client reports he is satisfied with his relationship while agitatedly tapping his toes
D) The client confesses to having an affair while covering her face and crying

Question 20

The Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I Disorders (SCID):

A) is an unstandardized assessment of Axis I disorders
B) is not reliable unless administered in person
C) offers broad coverage of Axis I disorders, with probes which correspond to a specific DSM criterion
D) contains only closed questions

Question 21

A victim of violence may experience:

A) feelings of shame, fear, self-doubt, and anger among other intense emotions
B) feelings of numbness and avoidance
C) fear over the repercussions of talking about the violence
D) all of the above

Question 22

All of the following are possible challenges in interviewing couples except:

A) a power differential between the couple
B) reluctance from one partner to engage in discussion
C) possible partner abuse
D) all of the above are possible challenges

Question 23

An appropriate course of action for a psychologist to take once a client is determined to be at high risk for suicide is:

A) be sure to schedule the client for a follow-up appointment within a week to re-assess the risk
B) ensure that the client has emergency numbers for a suicide hotline and local hospital
C) accompany the client to the emergency unit of the nearest hospital
D) call a family member to come and pick up the client

Question 24

In using an interpreter for clients who do not speak your language:

A) evidence suggests that interpreter mediated services are typically not successful
B) does not affect confidentiality
C) the interpreter must be able to convey subtleties of what is being said by both psychologist and client
D) use of interpreters was shown to have a negative effect on the sensitivity and specificity of interviews

Question 25

Examples of questions you may ask the father in the above scenario include:

A) When you say s/he is hyperactive, what is it that s/he does?
B) How often does s/he...?
C) When did this start?
D) All of the above

Question 26

In defining goals for therapy, which of the following should be avoided:

A) the goals should be important to the client
B) the goals should be small, simple, and achievable
C) the goals should focus on the negative aspects of behavior
D) the goals should be expressed in terms of the way people behave

Question 27

If a psychologist suspects that there is abuse in a partnership, the best thing to do is:

A) Call the police immediately
B) Ask the partner suspected of causing the abuse if s/he is abusive in the couple's session
C) Ask the partner suspected of receiving the abuse if his/her partner is abusive in the couple's session
D) have at least one individual session with each partner

Question 28

Formulating goals for therapy in very concrete terms is a feature most typical of which psychological orientation?

A) Psychodynamic
B) Psychoanalytic
C) Cognitive- behavioral
D) Client -Centered

Question 29

In being aware of cultural blind spots that a psychologist may encounter, s/he should remember:

A) not to assume that communication styles are universal
B) maintaining eye contact for too long may be perceived as intimidating in some cultures
C) avoid jumping to conclusions about the meaning of a behavior displayed
D) all of the above

Question 30

In assessing a depressed client, a psychologist should:

A) observe the clients behavior to get a feeling of the risk of suicide
B) ask indirect questions to try to piece together the risk of suicide
C) ask direct questions to determine the risk of suicide
D) immediately refer the client to a suicide hotline

Question 31

When a client is disclosing painful, frightening, or embarrassing experiences they have had

A) it is best to remain silent and to not show much in the way of facial expressions
B) it is essential to listen respectfully and non-judgmentally and provide support for the client
C) it is normal and okay to be judgmental
D) None of the above

Question 32

A father describes his child as hyperactive. As the psychologist you should:

A) accept the fathers diagnosis. Clearly they have been to another professional previously
B) ask questions about the behavior. Diagnostic labels are sometimes used in everyday conversation
C) dismiss the use of any words that have made their way into mainstream lingo
D) None of the above

Question 33

Gathering a clear definition of the presenting problem is important for the psychologist in order to:

A) determine if the behaviors that are presenting are within the normal range or are unusual
B) formulate concrete goals to work toward
C) determine whether psychological services may be helpful
D) all of the above

Question 34

Appropriate contextual information gathered during the assessment interview may include:

A) living arrangement
B) developmental history
C) medical history
D) all of the above

Question 35

In interviewing clients, a psychologist must be particularly sensitive to __________ variables affecting the clients experience with the psychologist

A) ethnic
B) socioeconomic
C) spiritual
D) all of the above

Question 36

An example of a sensitive way to ask a question about abuse is:

A) does your partner hit you when he is angry?
B) were you ever abused as a child?
C) what kinds of things does your partner do when he is angry?
D) None of the above

Question 37

When interviewing a couple, the psychologist should anticipate:

A) that the two partners may differ in their willingness to attend the interview
B) that the two partners may differ in their cultural background
C) that there may be different and incompatible views of the situation
D) all of the above

Question 38

In asking women questions about intimate partner violence:

A) research shows that self-report measures tend to be the most accurate
B) women typically feel comfortable disclosing abuse in the presence of her partner
C) A woman may not feel safe to disclose what she has suffered in the presence of her partner
D) asking a woman about abuse in the presence of her partner does not typically result in denial

Question 39

The most important factor to consider in assessing a client's risk for suicide is:

A) family history of suicide
B) the history of suicide attempts of the client
C) if the client seems to be serious or not
D) None of the above

Question 40

Refusal of a client to shake hands might best be interpreted initially as:

A) non-verbal body language communicating disgust
B) surliness of the client
C) a possible cultural or religious edict
D) a lack of the client's engagement

Question 41

When working with a client who displays cognitive impairment, it is important that:

A) the client understand the purpose of psychological services as best as is possible
B) the impaired person provide a verbal assent to procedures
C) consent be obtained from the person with legal authority for the client
D) all of the above

Question 42

Interviews with children are different from interviews with adults, except that children:

A) have the same attention span and capacity to stay focused as adults do
B) have the same style of interaction as adults do
C) have the same rights regarding confidentiality as adults do
D) have the same cognitive functioning capabilities as adults do

Question 43

In conducting child assessments, the psychologist must keep in mind that:

A) most children are not capable of providing information about their experiences
B) child assessments should rely mainly on the adult accounts of the child
C) children are important sources of information and can typically provide their thoughts and feelings
D) interpretations of children's play therapy are obsolete

Question 44

Older adults primarily seek psychological services for:

A) emotional issues
B) cognitive issues
C) behavioral issues
D) all of the above

Question 45

Behavior to observe during the interview includes:

A) the clients activity level
B) the clients attention span
C) the clients impulsivity
D) all of the above

Question 46

Reactivity refers to:

A) a phenomenon seen only in children
B) a change in the phenomenon that is being monitored resulting specifically from the process of self-monitoring
C) a temper tantrum brought on because of repeated self-monitoring
D) none of the above

Question 47

Children and adolescents engage best in conversation if:

A) they are made to maintain eye contact
B) they are sitting face-to-face with the interviewer
C) they do not maintain eye contact
D) they are sitting at the dinner table

Question 48

In order to ensure each member has adequate time to speak, the psychologist may need to:

A) interrupt each person after a pre-determined amount of time and tell them their time is up
B) remind children that parents have more authority and so deserve more time
C) remind parents that children may need extra time to express themselves and so should take as much time as they need
D) diplomatically cut off one family member to ensure each has a turn

Question 49

In order to assess a family while establishing rapport with each member, the psychologist should:

A) Listen primarily to the member who first contacted the psychologist for help because that member is obviously the most aware of the real issues
B) Focus on listening to any children or adolescents because they will require more time and attention to express their feelings
C) devote undivided attention to the parents, because they are the authority figures for the family
D) ensure that attention is devoted to each person over the course of the interview

Question 50

Self-monitoring strategies include:

A) a record of the occurrences of a behavior
B) daily records of thoughts and feelings
C) record of occurrences of symptoms
D) all of the above