Deck 3: Basic Features of Clinical Assessment

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the unique characteristics of the types of assessment in which clinical psychologists engage?

A) Since it is the dominant activity for clinical psychologists, they are considered the experts in this field.
B) It tends to be more formal and more systematic than assessments performed by nonprofessionals.
C) It always involves the use of standardized tests and projective measures.
D) Since it relies heavily on clinical judgment, it is often neither valid nor helpful.

Answer 1

It tends to be more formal and more systematic than assessments performed by nonprofessionals.

Question 2

The breadth of an assessment device is referred to as its ____________; the depth of an assessment device is called its ________________.

A) fidelity; bandwidth
B) bandwidth; fidelity
C) reliability; criterion validity.
D) construct validity; test-retest reliability.

Answer 2

bandwidth; fidelity

Question 3

Even when using an informal approach to processing assessment data, clinicians are significantly better at making judgments and diagnoses than nonclinicians.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Which of the following is usually the first step in the assessment process?

A) Meeting with the client and establishing a working relationship.
B) Deciding on which instruments are going to be used.
C) Clarifying the referral question.
D) Determining who will pay for the service.

Question 5

The DSM-III and DSM-III-R implemented a multiaxial approach to diagnosing mental disorders.

Question 6

Which of the following statements accurately reflect the role of assessment in treatment planning?

A) Since diagnoses based on thorough assessments tend to be very distinct, it has been possible to define specific treatments for those diagnoses.
B) Psychodiagnostic assessment fits very neatly into the medical model.
C) Assessment cannot only assist in the development of a treatment plan, but can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment as well.
D) In real, every day practice, assessment has little relationship to treatment planning.

Question 7

Discuss why accurate psychodiagnosis is important.

Question 8

In order to distinguish between behaviors a client cannot engage in from those a client does not engage in, a clinician would

A) use the most reliable instrument available.
B) use the most valid instrument available.
C) attempt to cross-validate their findings by using multiple instruments.
D) create his or her own measure to evaluate the client.

Question 9

Clinicians tend to underpredict dangerousness.

Question 10

While many clinicians believe that developing more descriptive assessments would be of benefit in both research and clinical settings, this is unlikely to happen because

A) the benefit of an efficient shorthand for communicating about disorders outweighs all other considerations.
B) it would never be reliable and valid.
C) they are time consuming and therefore expensive.
D) the different theoretical approaches will probably never be able to agree on the descriptions.

Question 11

In planning an assessment, clinicians would typically seek more information in the categories that are most relevant to the assessment goals.

Question 12

It is the clinician's responsibility to assure that assessment goals are not socially or culturally biased.

Question 13

Which of the following clinicians would be likely to consider traditional assessment procedures dehumanizing and harmful to the quality of the client-clinician relationship?

A) Harold, a clinician trained by Carl Rogers.
B) Jamil, a psychodynamically oriented therapist.
C) Harriette, a clinician who utilizes Beck's theories and protocols.
D) none of the above

Question 14

All areas of assessment's popularity have declined about equally since the early days of clinical psychology.

Question 15

The DSM-5 will continue using a multiaxial approach to diagnosing mental disorders.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT usually considered one of the main sources of assessment data?

A) interviews and case history data
B) behavioral observations
C) employer interviews
D) psychological tests

Question 17

Assessment is

A) the administering of tests of intelligence and personality.
B) only performed by qualified clinical psychologists.
C) is the collection and synthesis of information to reach a judgment.
D) all of the above

Question 18

According to the text, which groups have expressed ongoing issues with the DSM-5?

A) positive psychologists, humanistic psychologists, and psychodynamic psychologists
B) positive psychologists and experimental psychologists
C) psychiatrists, humanistic psychologists, and social workers
D) trick question, almost every group in mental health is pleased with the DSM-5

Question 19

Explain the reasons why the referral question can be considered central to a thorough assessment.

Question 20

In order to maintain the standards of the testing situations, clinicians must be careful to not explain the procedures being used to the client.

Question 21

Discuss the ways in which descriptive assessment can be seen as more important that diagnostic descriptions.

Question 22

What conclusions have been reached about the efficacy of statistical or actuarial predictions as they relate to clinical prediction?

Question 23

The DSM-5, like the DSMIV-TR before it, requires either-or categorizations according to specific criteria.Discuss the concerns expressed in the book about this approach to understanding psychopathology.