Deck 9: Behavioral Assessment

Question 1

Phil is seeing a behavioral clinical psychologist for help with his drinking behavior.The clinician asks Phil what he hopes to accomplish in treatment,and Phil says that he wants to reduce his alcohol intake.Then the clinician asks Phil what would be the consequence of reducing his intake,and Phil says that it would improve his performance at work.Then the clinician asks Phil what would be the consequence of improving his work performance,and Phil says that he would earn more money.Then the clinician asks about the consequence of earning more money,and Phil says that there would be less strain on his marriage.Then the clinician asks about the consequence of less marital strain,and Phil says that he would be happier.What is the clinician trying to do in this intervention?

A) define the ultimate outcome of the behavior change
B) pinpoint the antecedent of the undesired behavior
C) determine how committed the client is to treatment
D) none of the above

Answer 1

define the ultimate outcome of the behavior change

Question 2

Behavioral therapists and assessors see personality as

A) a set of abilities.
B) a group of traits.
C) a constellation of needs.
D) a system of drives.

Answer 2

a set of abilities.

Question 3

__________ variables include physical,physiological,or cognitive characteristics of the individual that are important for both the conceptualization of the client's problem as well as the choice of treatment to administer.

A) Inferential
B) Organismic
C) Stimulus
D) Consequential

Answer 3

Organismic

Question 4

ALL BUT WHICH of the following is a disadvantage of naturalistic observation?

A) Compared to other methods, naturalistic observation methods are relatively new and untested.
B) Clinical psychologists are ethically bound to ensure that people are not observed without their knowledge
C) It is expensive to maintain trained observers.
D) It is not always practicable to observe individuals outside of institutional settings.

Question 5

A behavioral assessor is using the SORC model to describe a client's problem.The client is phobic of dogs.Running inside after seeing a dog should be listed under

A) S.
B) O.
C) R.
D) C.

Question 6

Which of the following is the thesis underlying functional analysis?

A) Behaviors are learned and maintained because of consequences that follow them.
B) Behaviors are largely a function of unconscious processes.
C) Behaviors are a function of stable personality traits.
D) none of the above

Question 7

Many behavioral assessors use the SORC model for conceptualizing a clinical problem.According to this model,

A) S stands for stimulus or antecedent conditions that precede the behavior.
B) R stands for the response or behavior.
C) C stands for the consequences of the behavior.
D) all of the above

Question 8

Dr.Thomas is a behavioral clinical psychologist who is conducting an assessment of a child whose parents and teachers think he may be diagnosable with Oppositional Defiant Disorder.Dr.Thomas's focus during these assessments is probably on

A) oppositionality and defiance as personality traits within the child.
B) the underlying need for attention that may mediate the child's disruptive behavior.
C) the things the child does that are viewed by others as oppositional and defiant.
D) the child's unconscious wishes for discipline.

Question 9

Behavioral assessment takes place

A) before treatment begins.
B) before, during, and after treatment.
C) after treatment.
D) before and after treatment.

Question 10

Evaluators with a behavioral orientation emphasize __________ when doing clinical assessments.

A) underlying personality characteristics that mediate behavior
B) the interaction of behaviors and situations
C) projective techniques
D) constellations of needs or motivations

Question 11

In contrast to more traditional approaches to assessment,behavioral assessment

A) views behavior as being consistent across time.
B) relies more on methods like interviews and self-report.
C) relies more on data to select, evaluate, and revise treatment.
D) involves fewer assessments.

Question 12

Behavioral assessment,as compared to traditional assessment,

A) views behaviors as signs of underlying personality traits.
B) emphasizes enduring personality characteristics.
C) values assessment tools that produce good samples of behavioral tendencies.
D) utilizes assessment tools that are not "transparent."

Question 13

Controlled observation is sometimes referred to as

A) systematic observation.
B) analogue behavioral observation.
C) functional analysis.
D) behavioral assessment.

Question 14

A behavioral assessor is using the SORC model to describe a client's problem.The client is a child who frequently throws tantrums in stores.The child's parent often gives in to the child's demands for new toys to end the tantrum.Getting a new toy should be listed under

A) S.
B) O.
C) R.
D) C.

Question 15

Naturalistic observation has taken place in

A) client's homes.
B) schools.
C) psychiatric hospitals.
D) all of the above

Question 16

A client undergoing a psychological evaluation shouts insults at the evaluator.If the evaluator is behavioral,he/she is most likely to infer that

A) one of the client's core personality characteristics is anger.
B) this type of behavior probably happens in other similar situations.
C) the insults are actually signs of self-loathing.
D) the client is actually in need of affection, but has formed a defense mechanism against this need.

Question 17

A behavioral assessor is using the SORC model to describe a client's problem.The client is an obsessive-compulsive hand-washer.The obsessive thought,"my hands are dirty," should be listed under

A) S.
B) O.
C) R.
D) C.

Question 18

Assessors who perform behavioral interviews

A) are increasingly using structured diagnostic interviews.
B) typically ask about past attempts to cope with the problem.
C) usually inquire about people's expectations for therapy.
D) all of the above

Question 19

Behavioral clinical psychologists assess behavior by identifying the events that precede and consequences that follow a behavior.In formal terms,we say that they __________ the behavior.

A) functionally analyze
B) factor analyze
C) parse
D) deconstruct

Question 20

An adult who is frequently late to work is being assessed by a behavioral assessor.The assessor is performing a functional analysis of the tardiness.This analysis is LEAST likely to include

A) an examination of the days of the week that lateness is most common.
B) an exploration of underlying feelings toward work that may cause the lateness.
C) a review of the consequences of the tardiness.
D) questions about the events of the evenings preceding tardy arrivals.

Question 21

ALL BUT WHICH of the following is a good example of a "lower-level" behavior,in the context of behavioral observation?

A) the number of times during class that a student behaves aggressively toward a classmate
B) how many different classmates a student speaks to during a class period
C) how many minutes of a class period a student spends out of his or her seat
D) the number of times during class that a student raises his or her hand in response to a question from the teacher

Question 22

In the context of behavioral observation,ratings are usually made along ALL BUT WHICH of the following dimensions?

A) duration
B) intensity
C) pleasantness
D) frequency

Question 23

Todd,Jamal,and Samuel are trained observers for a research project.Just after completing their training,their interrater reliability is very high.However,over time and without their awareness,their observations converge less and less closely.The term for this phenomenon is

A) observer drift.
B) fading agreement.
C) rating separation.
D) observer spread.

Question 24

Which of the following is an accurate statement about ecological momentary assessment (EMA)?

A) It's a research tool with a long history in behavioral assessment.
B) It allows the researcher to tell whether electronic diary entries have been "backfilled."
C) One drawback is that it cannot be used to sample the characteristics of people's environments.
D) more than one of the above

Question 25

If a trained observer's ratings of the aggressive behavior of a child on the playground agree with the ratings made by the child's peers,then the __________ validity of those ratings is supported.

A) construct
B) content
C) concurrent
D) external

Question 26

ALL BUT WHICH of the following is true of psychophysiological measures?

A) They may assess activity of the central nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, or the skeletomotor system.
B) They may assess processes that cannot be assessed directly through self-report measures.
C) They are often more sensitive at assessing certain processes than other (e.g., behavioral) types of measures.
D) The concepts of reliability and validity are not relevant to psychophysiological measures.

Question 27

In order to increase the reliability of observation techniques,__________ behaviors should be observed.

A) multiple
B) complex
C) lower-level
D) higher-level

Question 28

A child's parents and teachers report that he impulsively interrupts others dozens of times each day,and that he cannot remain quiet when told to do so.When he notices a behavioral assessor visiting his classroom,however,the child doesn't say a word.This phenomenon is best described as

A) poor construct validity.
B) reactivity.
C) observer error.
D) controlled observation.

Question 29

EMG,EDA,and EEG are most relevant to

A) naturalistic observation.
B) psychophysiological assessment.
C) structured diagnostic interviews.
D) self-monitoring techniques.

Question 30

In __________,research participants carry electronic diaries,which may beep at random times throughout the day while they're in their natural environments.

A) role-playing methods
B) controlled observation methods
C) ecological momentary assessment methods
D) none of the above

Question 31

In the context of behavioral assessment,handheld computers may be used in which of the following ways?

A) Assessors may use them to code observational data.
B) They may be assigned to clients and programmed to prompt these clients for ratings at particular times throughout the day.
C) The data from these devices may be uploaded to other computers for complex analyses.
D) any of the above

Question 32

The important feature of _________ is that the environment is "designed" such that it is likely that the assessor will observe the targeted behavior or interactions.

A) controlled observation
B) behavioral assessment
C) time-sampling techniques
D) role-playing techniques

Question 33

According to a study of daily pain experiences by Stone,Shiffman,Schwartz,Broderick,and Hufford (2002),

A) participants being assessed with paper-and-pencil diaries reported that they responded in a very timely manner.
B) the responses of participants being assessed with paper-and-pencil diaries were just as timely as those being assessed with computer diaries.
C) both of the above
D) neither of the above

Question 34

Alison has claustrophobia that interferes significantly with her daily life.When she presents for treatment,the behavioral clinician spends an early session placing her in various highly controlled situations involving different levels of enclosure (e.g.,a small room,an elevator,a closet)and collects data on Alison's behavior,her emotional responses,and physiological indices like electrodermal activity.What is the term for this type of assessment?

A) naturalistic observation
B) controlled performance technique
C) ecological momentary assessment
D) behavioral analysis

Question 35

Which of the following is a threat to the validity of an observational technique?

A) poorly defined unit of analysis
B) reactivity
C) observer error
D) all of the above

Question 36

The Dysfunctional Thought Record is an example of a __________ technique.

A) controlled observation
B) self-monitoring
C) psychophysiological assessment
D) none of the above

Question 37

Which of the following is an appropriate example of a scoring procedure for a behavioral observation?

A) Sally presses a counter every time a toddler looks in the direction of his or her mother during the clinic visit.
B) Annika presses a button on her handheld computer every time, during the work day, that she becomes aware of a craving for a cigarette.
C) Tomás makes a hatch mark on a piece of paper every time one spouse interrupts the other during a recorded conversation.
D) All of the above are appropriate scoring procedures.

Question 38

Aside from handheld computers,what other technology may be used to gather data from individuals in their natural environments?

A) GPS devices
B) biosensors
C) audio recorders
D) all of the above

Question 39

An advantage of self-monitoring is that it

A) is less expensive than observation by trained staff.
B) can help clients translate vague, global complaints into specific behaviors to be changed.
C) prevents clients from distorting their observations.
D) more than one of the above

Question 40

Reliability and validity of observation techniques can be improved by ALL BUT WHICH of the following?

A) training observers.
B) defining behaviors objectively.
C) allowing observers to define the unit of analysis.
D) developing a specific scoring system.

Question 41

Describe two distinct types of observer error,and provide an example of each.

Question 42

Organismic variables,according to contemporary behavioral assessors,may include

A) cognitions and expectations.
B) physiological variables.
C) both of the above
D) neither of the above

Question 43

Describe three distinct ways one might increase the reliability and validity of observational techniques.

Question 44

What are the advantages and disadvantages of naturalistic observation?

Question 45

Describe three distinct ways that a cognitive-behavioral assessment may be conducted.

Question 46

Behavioral assessors use role-playing techniques to

A) build rapport with clients.
B) allow clients to express underlying emotional issues.
C) sample clients' behavioral skills and deficits.
D) none of the above

Question 47

Describe three distinct ways in which behavioral assessment differs from traditional assessment.

Question 48

The role of cognition in behavioral assessment

A) has been decreasing since the mid-1970s.
B) is highly criticized by Meichenbaum.
C) both of the above
D) neither of the above

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a procedure used to assess cognitive functioning in the context of behavioral assessment?

A) having clients "think aloud" (say whatever is on their minds) in response to problems they are presented with
B) having clients list their thoughts in response to various stressful situations
C) having clients fill out rating scales of adaptive and maladaptive cognitions
D) All of the above are accepted procedures.

Question 50

Explain what is meant by calling the behavioral model of treatment "iterative." Describe briefly the stages of this model.

Question 51

The Beck Depression Inventory is an example of a __________ technique.

A) self-monitoring
B) self-report
C) naturalistic observation
D) controlled observation

Question 52

How have the opinions of behavioral assessors toward psychiatric diagnosis changed over the years? Identify at least three factors that may account for this change.

Question 53

What are the advantages and disadvantages of controlled observation?

Question 54

In the past,most behavioral assessors __________,but currently they __________.

A) emphasized the importance of base rates; rarely measure base rates
B) believed mental disorder diagnoses were essential; view diagnoses as optional
C) incorporated cognitions into their assessments on a regular basis; do so far less often
D) saw mental disorder diagnoses as useless; concede that diagnoses may be useful

Question 55

What are three advantages of having clients complete behavioral logs or diaries? Two disadvantages?

Question 56

What is functional analysis,and why is it essential to behavioral assessment?

Question 57

Which of the following is true of inventories and checklists?

A) Behavioral clinicians do not use these kinds of self-report techniques for assessment.
B) Behavioral clinicians may have people complete checklists, but not inventories.
C) Behavioral clinicians make use of a wide range of inventories and checklists in their work.
D) Behavior clinicians use inventories and checklists, but only when observers are supplying the ratings.

Question 58

Rory has problems with assertiveness.In an early meeting with a behavioral clinician,the clinician tells Rory to imagine that he's out with a friend,and the friend has decided they should eat at a restaurant that Rory dislikes.The clinician asks Rory to respond to him as if he's the friend.This type of behavioral assessment is called

A) role-playing.
B) functional analysis.
C) controlled observation.
D) cognitive-behavioral assessment.

Question 59

Dr.Witwicky believes that people's self-statements play an important role in what they do (or do NOT do)in a situation.Knowing only this,we would guess that she adheres to the __________ approach.

A) cognitive-behavioral
B) self-affirmation
C) rational cognitive
D) functional.

Question 60

Which of the following is NOT a cognitive-behavioral assessment technique?

A) Attributional Style Questionnaire
B) Assertiveness Self-Statement Test
C) Time Sample Behavioral Checklist
D) none of the above