Question 1

Which of the following statements BEST exemplifies the Barnum effect in report writing?

Accepted Answer

A)   "Herb exhibits significant indicators of a specific learning disability in the visual channel of learning."
B)   "At times, Betty's unconscious hostile urges become evident in the form of expressed anger."
C)   "Patty's mild mental retardation indicates that she may need close supervision in a job setting."
D)   "Tom reports frequent auditory hallucinations commanding him to take out the garbage." B

Question 2

Why might a clinician interview a culturally different client about cultural aspects of his or her life?

Accepted Answer

A)   to develop hypotheses about the intelligence and personality of the interviewee
B)   to distinguish psychopathological behavior from that which is more typical of the culture of the interviewee
C)   to differentiate between what constitutes psychopathology in the majority culture from what constitutes psychopathology in the client's culture
D)   to sample new foods B

Question 3

A physical examination is to a physician as a _______ is to a clinician.

Accepted Answer

A)   psychological examination
B)   neuropsychological examination
C)   mental status examination
D)   differential diagnosis C

Question 4

Tools of assessment used by profilers include

Accepted Answer

A)   tests.
B)   the interview.
C)   the case study.
D)   Both b and c

Question 5

A stress interview is most similar in nature to

Accepted Answer

A)   an analogue study.
B)   a mental status examination.
C)   a structured interview.
D)   watching back-to-back episodes of America's Got Talent.

Question 6

The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)   an unstructured clinical interview.
B)   a structured clinical interview.
C)   a projective test.
D)   an objective personality test.

Question 7

"If a person is judged to be mentally retarded,psychotic,or suffering from a debilitating neurological disorder,that person is automatically judged to be incompetent to stand trial." This statement is

Accepted Answer

A)   true.
B)   false.
C)   true if two or more of the listed criteria are met.
D)   true if the defendant was a minor at the time of the alleged offense.

Question 8

One problem in confirming a diagnosis of child abuse is that

Accepted Answer

A)   no legal definition of this term exists.
B)   signs of abuse may also be symptoms of other conditions.
C)   definitions of this term vary from state to state.
D)   professionals who wrongfully report abuse or neglect, even in good faith, are subject to fines, imprisonment, or both.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT case history data?

Accepted Answer

A)   hospital records
B)   school records
C)   a letter from current employer
D)   All of these are case history data

Question 10

The psychiatrist and philosopher Karl Jaspers wrote that "there is no sharp line to be drawn between different types,nor between what is healthy and what is not." As cited in your text,this quote was a reference to a potential problem with

Accepted Answer

A)   a dimensional approach to personality disorder.
B)   overlapping criteria for the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
C)   a proposed Personality Disorder Trait Specified diagnosis.
D)   a categorical approach to personality disorder.

Question 11

Which of the following is TRUE about predictions of dangerousness made by mental health professionals?

Accepted Answer

A)   they have been accurate in the case of postal workers.
B)   they have not been very accurate.
C)   such predictions are more a science than an art.
D)   such predictions inevitably lead to lawsuits claiming libel or slander.

Question 12

It is important for clinicians who conduct child custody evaluations to understand that

Accepted Answer

A)   there may be many reasons for a custody battle, some not involving the child.
B)   the parents' intentions are always in the best interest of the child.
C)   both parents desperately want custody of the child.
D)   All of these

Question 13

In determining parental custody

Accepted Answer

A)   one impartial mental health professional is always used to assess both parents.
B)   tests of intelligence or personality may be necessary in addition to interviews.
C)   the child's parental preference will not be taken into account by the court.
D)   All of these

Question 14

The most commonly used measure of depression is

Accepted Answer

A)   the MMPI-II.
B)   the Beck Depression Inventory.
C)   the Draw-A-Person.
D)   the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) .

Question 15

An interview in which the interviewee is given a wide latitude to interact with the interviewer is called a

Accepted Answer

A)   hypnotic interview.
B)   elaborative interview.
C)   structured interview.
D)   collaborative interview.

Question 16

Caution is urged with the use of translators in assessment situations because

Accepted Answer

A)   there is a shortage of translators who are truly "culturally competent."
B)   managed care and other third-party payers do not reimburse translation fees.
C)   words do not always retain their original meaning in translation.
D)   few translators are qualified to develop, administer, or interpret psychological tests.

Question 17

Which type of interview is MOST likely to be used in a criminal investigation?

Accepted Answer

A)   stress interview
B)   cognitive interview
C)   nonverbal interview
D)   good cop/bad cop interview

Question 18

The Secret Service collaborates with behavioral scientists in

Accepted Answer

A)   predicting which individuals might engage in violent acts against public officials.
B)   conducting research on assessing dangerousness.
C)   conducting training programs for agents.
D)   All of these

Question 19

In their description of biopsychosocial assessment,your textbook authors likened the approach to

Accepted Answer

A)   a great paradigm shift in disability research.
B)   the triumph of behavioral over psychoanalytic methods.
C)   closing the barn door after the cows have left.
D)   broadcasting in widescreen.

Question 20

Which of the following tools of psychological assessment is MOST likely to be used in order to evaluate a patient's level of premorbid functioning?

Accepted Answer

A)   role-play
B)   behavioral observation
C)   the case history
D)   All of these

Exam 14: Clinical and Counseling Assessment