Question 1

How many subtests are there all together in the WISC-IV and how much time would the clinical psychologist typically require to administer all of them?

Accepted Answer

A) 10 subtests, about 45 minutes. 
B) 10 subtests, about an hour. 
C) 13 subtests, about an hour. 
D) 15 subtests, more than an hour.

Question 2

How are the latest versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision (DSM-TR), superior to early DSM versions?

Accepted Answer

A) Better allowance for the fact that the symptomatology associated with particular disorders varies with the child's age. 
B) Better allowance for the fact that certain diagnoses should not even be considered below a certain age. 
C) More sensitivity to culture and gender. 
D) All of the above. 
E) None of the above.

Question 3

David's IQ score on the WISC-IV placed him in the low average range of intelligence. One month later, his mother who was very upset, complained to the school that she wants a re-testing because there is no way her could son possibly have an IQ below 120. She suggested that maybe David wasn't feeling well that day or maybe some mistake was made in the scoring, but either way the IQ is wrong. However, the psychologist refused to repeat the test, claiming it would be both a waste of time and a violation of policy. Who is right, and why?

Accepted Answer

A) The mother, because David should be given the benefit of the doubt. When children don't feel well they tend not to perform at their best. Also psychologists aren't perfect, and while it is unlikely the psychologist made a scoring error, it is possible. 
B) The mother. Nobody knows her son better than she, so what she says about her son's intelligence is more valid than a number on a single test. 
C) The psychologist. Not only is a person's IQ score highly accurate, it rarely varies by more than a point or two. Therefore, it would be a waste of time to repeat the test. 
D) The psychologist. Research has shown that re-administering the WISC IV less than a year later leads to invalidly inflated scores on the second test due to practice effect.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about projective tests is the most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A) Projective tests are used more commonly as a psychological assessment tool with adults than with children. 
B) Projective tests can be administered by a teacher or social worker when no clinical psychologist is available. 
C) What makes projective tests subjective rather than objective is exclusively the open-ended nature of the responses, not the scoring standards. 
D) Projective tests are preferred over objective tests as an assessment tool in the differential diagnosis of severe mental illness.

Question 5

The guidance counselor at 11-year-old Lisa's school called Lisa's mother, asking her to come to the school for a one-on-one conference. At the conference, Mrs. Stevens learned that her daughter was identified as someone who was cyber-bullying one of her classmates. In addition, Lisa's grades were slipping. The guidance counselor recommended that Lisa receive a psychological evaluation. Mrs. Stevens agreed to cooperate, but what should she tell her daughter?

Accepted Answer

A) She is going to take some tests to see if another school might be better for her. 
B) The school is on the verge of recommending that she be expelled. 
C) The guidance counselor wants her to take some tests because they might have assigned her to the wrong class. 
D) She is very disappointed with her behavior and agrees with the guidance counselor that therapy, after some preliminary testing, might be helpful.

Question 6

Three of the four pairs of WISC-IV subtests listed below include one subtest that also appeared on the original WISC and one that did not. Identify the one remaining pair of subtests, neither of which appeared on the original WISC.

Accepted Answer

A) Similarities and Symbol Search 
B) Block Design and Matrix Reasoning 
C) Comprehension and Word Reasoning 
D) Word Reasoning and Picture Concepts

Question 7

The child psychologist's task of conducting a clinical assessment on a new referral can be likened to that of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A) A doctor treating a cancer patient. 
B) A detective investigating a fire that may be the result of arson. 
C) A teacher assigning a letter grade on a child's report card. 
D) A defense attorney preparing his or her opening statement to present to the court.

Question 8

Which of the following was not a valid criticism of the original WISC, eventually leading to the development of subsequent versions of the test?

Accepted Answer

A) Some of the items were potentially discriminatory against certain subgroups of the population. 
B) There are additional areas of intellectual functioning that the test could have tapped into but didn't. 
C) The test provided little, if any, helpful clinical information other than a verbal, performance, and overall IQ score which a simpler written intelligence test could do equally well. 
D) The test could be likened in some ways to a "dinosaur," worthy of "extinction" because it was not fully in keeping with current theories about intelligence and had outrun its usefulness.

Question 9

How is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision, commonly referred to as DSM-IV-TR, superior to previous DSM versions?

Accepted Answer

A) DSM-IV-TR better allows for the fact that the symptomatology associated with particular disorders varies with the child's age. 
B) DSM-IV-TR better allows for the fact that certain diagnoses should not even be considered below a certain age. 
C) DSM-IV-TR is more sensitive to culture and gender. 
D) All of the above 
E) None of the above

Question 10

When should a comprehensive medical examination be ordered in conjunction with a request for a psychological assessment?

Accepted Answer

A) Before the psychological assessment to either pinpoint or rule out a medical or organic cause for the child's aberrant behavior. 
B) After the psychological assessment when all of the psychological test results come back normal. 
C) Only when the medical history of the child or the child's family indicates the presence of serious physical illness. 
D) Only when the medical information on the child is sketchy or outdated.

Question 11

You are a clinical psychologist frequently asked to give expert opinion in court cases. As a scientific investigator, you consider factual accuracy of prime importance, a point of view reinforced by the high esteem you hold for your brother who is a police officer and your sister who is an attorney. So understandably, you are greatly perturbed by the glaring inconsistencies in a file you were handed on an allegedly sexually abused child. Now the court is asking for your assessment. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

A) Sit down with each party and demand a clarification of the facts and retraction of false information and conjectures. 
B) Determine which version comes from a responsible professional source. 
C) Refuse to take on the case because there are too many inconsistencies and bits of contradictory information. 
D) Proceed with your independent investigation as best you can, duly noting the significant inconsistencies in your preliminary report.

Question 12

Which of the following personality measures is generally not used with adolescents with special needs in institutionalized settings?

Accepted Answer

A) MMPI-A 
B) Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory 
C) Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory 
D) Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales

Question 13

Which type of delusional disorder involves the belief that the self has a physical deformity or medical condition?

Accepted Answer

A) Persecutory type 
B) Hypochondriac type 
C) Somatic type 
D) Mixed type

Question 14

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS III) is the most widely-used intelligence test. It allows for calculation of three IQ scores and includes several subtests. Which of the following is NOT one of the IQ scores calculated from this test?

Accepted Answer

A) Verbal 
B) Performance 
C) Full Scale 
D) Mathematical

Question 15

Clinical psychologists seeking more information about a child's behavior can obtain that information from a variety of sources. In fact, utilizing several different sources, rather than relying on one source exclusively, often helps to provide a fuller picture. One assessment tool that employs this concept is the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC). Which of the following sources of information is not considered in determining the BASC rankings?

Accepted Answer

A) The child 
B) The child's parents 
C) The pediatrician 
D) The child's teacher

Question 16

Which of the following procedures is generally not included as part of a child's psychological assessment?

Accepted Answer

A) Physical examination 
B) Non-verbal exercises and activities 
C) Paper and pencil tests 
D) Parental interview

Question 17

Clinical psychologists commonly use assessment tools such as the WPPSI to evaluate children's intelligence beginning at what age?

Accepted Answer

A) Age 2 
B) Age 3 
C) Age 4 
D) Age 5

Question 18

10-year-old Juan, who has been exhibiting disturbed behavior for quite a while, is enrolled in a special education program. Several years ago his near inability to speak and several other regressive behaviors led to the diagnosis of autism. However, he is also showing signs of being a musical prodigy. Now he is being referred to you, a clinical psychologist and specialist in exceptional children, for further evaluation. Before you even begin testing, you have good reason to believe that Juan might actually be afflicted with what condition?

Accepted Answer

A) ADHD 
B) OCD 
C) Asperger's Syndrome 
D) Borderline Schizophrenia

Question 19

You, a clinical psychologist, have been called in to do a preliminary assessment of a 12-year-old girl who is allegedly the victim of sexual abuse by the mother's boyfriend. You know you have your work cut out for you, but your immediate challenge is how to deal with the existing file's conflicting versions of events given by different parties. Whose account, or all of them or none of them, should you give the most weight to in preparing your own report, which is due the day after tomorrow?

Accepted Answer

A) The child's. She is the one who was traumatized and would have no reason to lie about who was responsible. 
B) The mother's. She loves her child and wants nothing more than to see the perpetrator punished. 
C) The teacher's. Unlike the mother, she is specially trained to diagnose and deal with children's problems. As a licensed professional, her account would be the most credible. 
D) The prosecuting attorney's. The DA prosecuting the case would not be doing so without sufficient evidence that he or she has the right suspect and all the facts necessary to bring a conviction. 
E) None of the above.

Question 20

Anxiety disorders are those in which anxiety becomes expressed somatically-there are physical symptoms that are disproportionally reactive to events. Panic disorder is one specific type of anxiety disorder. Which of the following statements is not true of panic disorder?

Accepted Answer

A) It is characterized by repeated and unexpected panic 
B) Agoraphobia is sometimes a comorbid condition 
C) It can be a serious problem for children 
D) There is a genetic predisposition for the disorder

Exam 1: Assessment