Personality Assessment and Psychological Testing

These flashcards cover key concepts, definitions, and important details related to personality assessment and psychological testing as discussed in the lecture.

What are the main purposes of psychological testing?

Assisting in differential diagnosis, aiding in psychotherapy, and providing narrow-band assessment.

What is personality defined as?

An individual’s enduring and pervasive motivations, emotions, interpersonal styles, attitudes, and traits.

What is personality assessment?

The systematic measurement of personality characteristics.

What are common concepts quantified by personality tests?

Depression, anger, and anxiety.

What are challenging concepts in personality assessment?

Somatization, ability to delay gratification, or suicide potential.

Why is personality assessment important in psychology?

It is vital for the scientific study of psychology and psychiatry.

What is a clinical pearl about personality testing?

It is expensive, time-consuming, and should not be routinely obtained from all psychiatric patients.

What are the differential diagnoses for the clinical case example shared?

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

What are the uses of psychological assessments?

Pretreatment planning, assessing progress once therapy begins, and evaluating the effectiveness of therapy.

What do objective tests provide for patients?

Objective information needed for productive change and evaluation of their problems.

What do narrow-band personality tests measure?

A single personality characteristic or a few related characteristics.

What do broad-band personality tests measure?

A wide spectrum of personality characteristics.

What is an example of specific quantification in personality assessment?

Assessing the degree of clinical depression or measuring the intensity of anxiety.

What is the significance of the normative sample in psychological testing?

It is a representative sample of subjects administered the test to establish expected performance.

What is validity in psychological testing?

The degree to which a test measures what it purports to measure.

What is face validity?

It assesses whether the test items appear to measure what they are intended to measure.

What is concurrent validity?

External measures obtained simultaneously with test administration.

What is predictive validity?

It forecasts future events based on test results.

What is discriminant validity?

It measures whether the test can differentiate between known groups of patients.

What is factor validity?

It determines if significant groups of test items cluster together statistically.

What does reliability refer to in testing?

The degree to which a test consistently measures what it purports to measure.

What is test-retest reliability?

Administering the same test on two occasions and correlating the results.

What is internal consistency reliability?

Checking the consistency of responses across different items within the test.

What is parallel form reliability?

Using different items to measure the same construct and comparing results.

What is the standard error of measurement (SEM)?

A statistic used to estimate a patient’s score if they retook the same test.

What is the MMPI-2 known for?

It is a widely used objective personality test containing 567 true/false questions.

What is the administration time for the MMPI-2?

Approximately 1.5 hours.

What is the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)?

A self-report inventory measuring psychopathology, personality dimensions, and treatment-related scales.

How many items does the PAI consist of?

344 items.

What is one strength of the MMPI-2?

It has updated response booklet and revised scaling methods.

What is a limitation of the MMPI-2?

The normative sample is biased toward upper socioeconomic status.

What are projective personality tests designed to assess?

Unconscious aspects of personality using ambiguous stimuli.

What does the Rorschach test involve?

10 inkblot cards that serve as stimuli for responses.

What is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)?

A projective test consisting of 20 cards depicting ambiguous scenes.

What is the purpose of the Sentence Completion Test?

To elicit indirect information unavailable from other measures.

What is direct behavioral assessment?

The direct measurement of observable behaviors.

What types of behaviors are measured in direct behavioral assessment?

Quantifiable behaviors like number of temper tantrums or cigarettes smoked.

What is the role of cognitive behavior therapists in measuring behaviors?

Establishing baselines for undesired or desired behaviors.

What can follow-up measures in behavioral assessment accomplish?

They monitor progress and quantify improvement.

What is a crucial benchmark for reliability coefficients?

A coefficient of at least 0.80 is typically needed for usefulness.

What is the administration method for the Rorschach test?

Minimal interaction between examiner and patient to maintain standardization.

What does the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT) involve?

45 inkblot cards with a restriction of one response per card.

What type of measure is the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS)?

A forced choice, self-report format that follows Murray’s theory.

What is a limitation of projective tests?

They often have limited empirical support and can produce inconsistent results.

What is the focus of behavioral assessment?

Direct measurement of observable behavior rather than vague psychological traits.

What is the projective hypothesis?

The assumption that responses to ambiguous stimuli reflect fundamental aspects of personality.