Psychological Assessment Midterm

Psychological Testing

A measurement instrument consisting of a sample of behavior obtained under standardized conditions and evaluated using established scoring rules. It is a technical, structured part of the broader assessment process

Psychological Assessment

a multi-method subfield of clinical psychology that measures human abilities, traits, and characteristics. It is a problem-solving process focused on answering a specific referral question

Construct Bias

Ascribing pathology beyond what should be considered because of a failure to understand cultural differences

Method Bias

Environmental or procedural factors (e.g., disabilities, low SES, or test style) that act as a barrier to certain populations

Item Bias

Single test items that are biased against individuals because of cultural background, language barriers, or unequal exposure to concepts

Predictive Bias

When predictions about test outcomes are skewed by factors specific to the individual’s environment rather than the test itself

Test Reliability

the degree to which a test is repeatable, stable, and yields consistent scores across time or examiners.

Measurement Error

Error that arises from test characteristics or human performance fluctuations because psychological constructs cannot be measured directly (like blood levels)

Validity Generalization

A test's validity in actual clinical practice depends on how closely the client's demographic characteristics match the original validation sample.

Incremental Validity

The degree to which a new test produces valuable diagnostic information above and beyond what is already known from baseline interviews or existing instruments.

Conceptual Validity

The clinical process of integrating hypotheses from multiple test sources and history to construct a coherent, dynamic formulation of the individual.

Content Validity

Refers to how adequately and relevantly test items sample the full domain of the construct being measured

Face Validity

Refers to whether a test appears on the surface to measure what it claims to measure (e.g., the Rorschach has very low face validity)

Criterion Validity

Determined by correlating test scores with an external, independently observed outcome or criterion measure.

Construct Validity

Evaluates whether the test accurately measures a theoretical construct or trait. It represents the strongest and most sophisticated approach to test validation.

Clinical Interview

an integrated and primarily verbal communication designed to obtain the client’s psychosocial history, characteristic patterns of living, and symptom presentation.

Structured Clinical Interview

a standardized, pre-determined set of questions asked in a fixed sequence

Unstructured Clinical Interview

a flexible, open-ended, and conversational interview approach guided by the clinician or patient

Areas for Questioning in Clinical Interviews

Reason for Referral / Presenting Problem, Family Background, Developmental & Personal History, Health & Substance Use, Legal & Criminal Background, Current Symptoms & Coping

Mental Status Examination (MSE)

a structured tool used by healthcare providers to observe and evaluate a patient's current mental functioning and state of mind

Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

assessment which evaluates intelligence with respect to age

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-5)

the world's most widely used standardized test to measure cognitive ability and intelligence in adolescents and adults aged 16 to 90

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V)

an individually administered cognitive ability and IQ test for children aged 6 years 0 months to 16 years 11 months

Academic Assessment

measure specific academic skills compared to others at the same grade or age level

Wide Range Achievement Test 5 (WRAT5)

measures the basic academic skills in ages 5–85+ years