Psychological Assessment Glossary Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key assessment terms, tests, laws, and theories from the psychology lecture notes.

Actuarial Predictions

Decisions based on statistical formulas (e.g., multiple-regression equations) that outperform clinicians’ intuitive judgments.

Clinical Predictions

Decisions that rely on a practitioner’s experience, intuition, and test interpretation; generally less accurate than actuarial methods.

Aging and Intelligence / Processing Speed

Normal aging lowers processing speed and fluid IQ, though practice and training can partly reverse these declines.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Testing

Requires employment tests to measure job skills—not disabilities—and obliges employers to provide reasonable testing accommodations.

Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)

21-item self-report rating depression severity; 0–13 minimal, 14–19 mild, 20–28 moderate, 29–63 severe.

Behavioral Assessment

Evaluation focused on overt/covert behaviors using interviews, observation, FBA, cognitive and psychophysiological measures.

Bender-Gestalt II

16-figure copy-and-recall task screening visual–motor integration and possible neuropsychological impairment.

Big Five Personality Traits

Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Openness—derived from lexical factor analysis.

Crystallized Intelligence (Gc)

Learned knowledge and skills shaped by education and culture.

Fluid Intelligence (Gf)

Ability to solve novel problems and detect relationships independent of schooling.

Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM)

Brief, repeated tests of basic academic skills aligned with current curriculum to monitor instruction effectiveness.

Differential Validity (Testing Context)

Undesirable situation where a predictor has different validity coefficients for different demographic groups.

Direct Observation

Structured or unstructured real-time recording of a participant’s behavior by an evaluator.

Dynamic Assessment

Vygotsky-inspired approach that departs from standard procedures to gauge learning potential; includes testing the limits.

Testing the Limits

Post-standard administration provision of extra cues/feedback to examinees to gather more diagnostic information.

Flynn Effect

Average IQ gains (~3 points/decade) noted 1930-2000, largely in fluid abilities; recently reversed in some groups.

Glasgow Coma Scale

Rates eye opening, best motor, and best verbal responses to index consciousness after head injury.

Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery

Comprehensive test set producing a 0–1 Halstead Impairment Index to detect brain damage and its locus.

Heredity and Intelligence

IQ correlations rise with genetic similarity (e.g., r≈.85 for identical twins reared together; r≈.67 apart).

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Mandates multidisciplinary evaluation, an IEP, least restrictive environment, and bans placement on IQ tests alone.

Infant and Preschool Tests

Tools like Bayley and Denver screen developmental delays; administered ≤2 yrs show low later IQ predictiveness.

ITPA-3

Assesses ages 5–12:11 for psycholinguistic strengths/weaknesses, dyslexia diagnosis, and intervention progress.

KABC-II

Culture-fair cognitive battery for ages 3–18:11; interpretable via CHC model or Luria processing model.

Kuder Occupational Interest Survey (KOIS)

Empirically keyed inventory for students/adults comparing interests across occupational groups (no general norms).

Larry P. v. Riles

1979 ruling barring use of IQ tests for Black children’s special-ed placement in San Francisco due to cultural bias.

Leiter-3

Nonverbal, culture-fair cognitive test (ages 3–75+) emphasizing Gf across visualization, reasoning, memory, attention.

Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE)

30-point screen of orientation, registration, attention, recall, language, visuo-construction; <24 suggests impairment.

MMPI-2 Validity Scales

L detects faking good, F detects faking bad/carelessness, K indexes defensiveness; T≥65 typically clinically significant.

Multi-Informant Reports

Data collected from multiple sources (family, clinicians) to enhance assessment yet may contain inconsistencies.

Norm-Referenced Score

Compares performance to a representative norm group.

Criterion-Referenced Score

Interprets performance against defined content or external standard.

Self-Referenced (Ipsative) Score

Compares an individual’s scores with their own other scores for intra-person analysis.

PPVT-4

Untimed receptive vocabulary test for ages 2:6–90+; suitable for speech/motor impaired examinees.

Psychophysiological Measures

Assessment of physiological indices (heart rate, GSR) to infer psychological states.

Raven’s Progressive Matrices

Culture-reduced nonverbal test of general intelligence using pattern completion items.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

10 inkblots scored on location, determinants, form quality, content, popularity; reveals personality dynamics.

SB5 (Stanford-Binet Fifth Ed.)

IQ test ages 2–85+ measuring g plus Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial, Working Memory; uses routing subtests.

Seattle Longitudinal Study

Cross-sequential research showing only perceptual speed markedly declines before age 60, highlighting cohort effects.

Self-Directed Search (SDS) / RIASEC

Holland inventory matching interests to six themes—Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional.

Self-Report

Participant-provided data; quick and cheap but may lack validity/reliability.

Standardization (Testing)

Uniform administration/scoring and establishment of norms from a representative sample.

Strong Interest Inventory

Produces GOTs, BIS, Occupational and Personal Style scales; occupational scales keyed to satisfied workers' interests.

Stroop Color-Word Test

Measures response inhibition, selective attention, cognitive flexibility; sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction.

Structured / Semi-Structured Interviews

Fixed-question formats that enhance replicability but require training and can be time-intensive.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Projective stories to ambiguous pictures scored on hero, needs, press, thema, outcomes per Murray’s needs theory.

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

Sternberg’s model: analytic, creative, and practical abilities enabling goal-oriented adaptation to environments.

Slope Bias (Test Bias)

Different validity coefficients for groups (differential validity), producing misleading predictions.

Intercept Bias (Unfairness)

Equal validity but differing predictor means between groups, causing systematic over- or under-prediction.

Vineland-II

Assesses adaptive behavior (personal/social) for ID, ASD, ADHD, brain injury, dementia to guide interventions.

WAIS-IV

Adult IQ test (16:0–90:11) yielding FSIQ plus Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed indexes.

WISC-V

Children’s IQ test (6:0–16:11) providing FSIQ and five Primary Indexes: VCI, VSI, FRI, WMI, PSI.

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)

Assesses abstract reasoning and set-shifting; sensitive to frontal lobe damage and various psychiatric conditions.