Ch 3 - Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment

idiographic understanding

an understanding of a particular individual

assessment

the process of collecting and interpreting relevant information about a client or research participant

standardization

the process in which a test is administered to a large group of people whose performance then serves as a standard or norm against which any individual's score can be measured

reliability

a measure of the consistency of test or research results

validity

a measure of the accuracy of a test's or study's results

mental status exam

a set of interview questions and observations designed to reveal the degree and nature of a client's abnormal functioning

clinical test

a device for gathering information about a few aspects of a person's psychological functioning from which broader information about the person can be inferred (includes projective tests, personality inventories, response inventories, etc.)

projective test

a test consisting of ambiguous material that people interpret or respond to (e.g., Rorschach, TAT, sentence-completion tests, drawings)

personality inventory

a test, designed to measure broad personality characteristics, consisting of statements about behaviors, beliefs, and feelings that people evaluate as either characteristic or uncharacteristic of them (e.g., MMPI)

response inventories

tests that measure a person's responses in one specific area of functioning, such as affect, social skills, or cognitive processes (e.g., Beck Depression Inventory)

psychophysiological tests

a test that measures physical responses (such as heart rate and muscle tension) as possible indicators of psychological problems (e.g., polygraph test)

neurological test

a test that directly measures brain structure or activity

neuroimaging techniques

neurological tests that provide images of brain structure or activity, such as CT scans, PET scans, and MRIs. Also called brain scans.

neuropsychological test

a test that detects brain impairment by measuring a person's cognitive, perceptual, and motor performances (e.g., Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test, or Montreal Cognitive Assessment)

intelligence test

a test designed to measure a person's intellectual ability

intelligence quotient (IQ)

an overall score derived from intelligence tests

diagnosis

a determination that a person's problems reflect a particular disorder

syndrome

a cluster of symptoms that usually occur together

classification system

a list of disorders, along with descriptions of symptoms and guidelines for making appropriate diagnoses (e.g., DSM-5 and ICD)

empirically supported treatment

therapy that has received clear research support for a particular disorder and has corresponding treatment guidelines; also known as evidence-based treatment

rapprochement movement

a movement to identify a set of common factors, or common strategies, that run through all successful therapies

psychopharmacologist

a psychiatrist who primarily prescribes medications

clinical interview

a face-to-face encounter with a patient where the interviewer asks a series of (usually, open-ended) questions; method of gathering information about a person's past and current behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and problems

Rorschach test

a projective test that uses inkblots as the ambiguous stimulus

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality inventories. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes.

EEG

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

CAT scan

imaging method that uses x-rays, same as an "x-ray" image but x-rays are directed from many different angles through a cross-section of the body, also called CT scan

PET scan

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain

fMRI

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. Shows brain functions

battery

a series of tests

naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

analog observation

A method for observing behavior in which people are observed in artificial settings such as clinicians' offices or laboratories.

self-monitoring

A procedure whereby a person systematically observes his behavior and records the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a target behavior.

DSM-5

the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders.

categorical information

refers to the name of the category (disorder) indicated by a client's symptoms

dimensional information

a rating of how severe a client's symptoms are and how dysfunctional the client is across various dimensions of personality.

therapy outcome study

Studies that measure the effects of various treatments.

common factors

core ingredients shared by different, effective therapies