Psych 342: Chapter 4 Vocabulary

Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT or CT)

Computer-guided X-ray technique to image three-dimensional representations of the brain and other organs

Diagnostic reliability

Consistency and agreement between clinicians in use of a diagnostic label

Diagnostic validity

The extent to which a diagnosis measures what it purports to measure

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A record of electrical activity of the brain in terms of brain frequencies, measured from the scalp

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Imaging technique that uses magnetic fields to detect changes in blood flow, producing a measure of brain activity

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Imaging technique using variations in magnetic fields to produce three- dimensional images of the brain and other organs with better resolution than CT scans

Mental Status Examination

Brief interview and observation method to provide an overview of a person's general level of psychological functioning

Personality inventory

A self-report questionnaire in which brief responses to a collection of test items are used to assess personal characteristics or behaviors across various personality dimensions

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Imaging technique that measures metabolic activity (such as glucose utilization) as an indication of the functioning of the brain or other organs

Projective test

Test in which a person is presented with ambiguous stimulus materials and asked to respond in some way, based on the assumption that people project characteristics of their own intrapsychic processes onto their responses

Psychological Test

Highly standardized procedure for obtaining samples of behavior

Syndrome

Pattern of symptoms that tend to occur together in a particular disease or condition