Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Research in Psychopathology

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on clinical assessment, diagnosis, and research in psychopathology.

Clinical assessment

The process of understanding the individual, predicting behavior, planning treatment, and evaluating outcomes, guided by standardization, reliability, and validity.

Standardization

Uniform procedures and norms for administering and scoring assessments.

Reliability

Consistency of a measure across time, items, or raters.

Validity

The degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure.

Clinical interview

A structured, semi-structured, or unstructured conversation used to determine psychopathology.

Mental status exam

A brief, systematic assessment of current cognitive and emotional functioning.

Appearance

Observations of attire, grooming, posture, expressions, and overall presentation during the interview.

Thought process

The form, flow, speed, coherence, and content of thinking as expressed in speech.

Mood

The client’s subjective emotional state.

Affect

The observed emotional expression accompanying mood.

Intellectual functioning

Cognitive abilities, vocabulary, abstract thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Sensorium

Orientation to self, time, and place (awareness of person, time, and place).

Orientation (sensorium)

Awareness of self, time, and place; orientation to person, time, and place.

ABCs of observation

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence—the triggers and outcomes of behavior observed during assessment.

Behavioral assessment

Direct observation of the client’s behavior in the environment to identify problematic patterns.

Psychological testing

Use of standardized tests to gather information; tests must be reliable and valid to inform diagnosis and treatment.

Projective tests

Tests like the Rorschach and Thematic Apperception Test rooted in psychoanalytic theory; rely on interpretation and often have lower reliability/validity.

Rorschach test

A projective inkblot test used to infer unconscious processes from interpreted responses.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test using ambiguous pictures to elicit stories that reveal underlying motives and thoughts.

Objective tests

Empirically based tests with clear stimuli and scoring, requiring less clinical inference.

MMPI

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; a lengthy, reliable, and valid personality assessment used in psychopathology.

IQ test

Test measuring intellectual functioning; scores are compared to same-age peers and often include verbal and performance domains.

Neuropsychological testing

Assessment of a broad range of cognitive and behavioral functions to understand brain–behavior relationships; may have false positives/negatives.

Neuroimaging

Imaging techniques to visualize brain structure and function (e.g., CT, MRI, PET, SPECT, fMRI).

CT scan

Computed tomography; structural brain imaging providing cross-sectional images.

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging; high-resolution structural brain images.

PET scan

Positron emission tomography; uses radioactive tracers to measure brain activity.

SPECT scan

Single-photon emission computed tomography; uses radioactive isotopes to assess brain function.

fMRI

Functional MRI; measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow related to neural activity.

Psychophysiological assessments

Assess brain structure, function, and nervous system activity; includes EEG.

EEG

Electroencephalogram; records brainwave activity.

Research in psychopathology

Study of questions driving science: why distress or impairment occurs and how to promote adaptive behavior; includes qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Qualitative research

Descriptive, non-numerical data collection and analysis; often the descriptive component of research.

Quantitative research

Research using numerical data and statistical analysis; can determine relationships and effects.

Experimental research

Research that can determine cause-and-effect by manipulating an independent variable and using random assignment and control groups.

Independent variable

The condition manipulated by the researcher to examine its effect.

Dependent variable

The outcome measured to see the effect of the independent variable.

Control group

Participants not receiving the experimental condition or receiving a placebo for comparison.

Confounding/extraneous variables

Other factors that may influence outcomes and must be controlled to isolate effects.

Descriptive research

Research that describes behavior and phenomena; includes case studies, surveys, observations, and correlational studies.

Correlational method

Examines relationships between two or more variables without inferring causation.

Correlation coefficient

Statistical measure (r) of the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables, ranging from -1 to 1.

Positive correlation

Both variables increase or decrease together; move in same direction.

Negative correlation

As one variable increases, the other decreases; move in opposite directions.

Correlation does not imply causation

A relationship between variables does not prove that one causes the other.

Case study

In-depth description of an individual or group; rich detail but limited internal validity and generalizability.

Longitudinal design

Research following the same individuals over an extended period.

Cross-sectional design

Research observing different individuals at one point in time.

Cross-sequential design

A hybrid design combining longitudinal and cross-sectional methods to study changes across time and cohorts.