Question 1

What is something a clinician notes when analyzing a client's responses to a word-association test?

Accepted Answer

Clinicians often note the response time in word-association tests as it can indicate the client's cognitive processing speed and emotional reactions to certain words.

Question 2

A clinical psychologist is asked to evaluate a child who is reported to be disruptive at home and at school. The psychologist's assessment includes a wide variety of tools. Which of the following would be the most objective technique he uses?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral observation is the most objective technique because it involves direct observation of the child's behavior. The other options rely on self-report or interpretation, which may be influenced by subjective factors. Clinical interviews involve the child or their caregivers providing information about themselves, which can be influenced by biases or memory lapses. Projective testing relies on interpretation of ambiguous stimuli, which is subject to the psychologist's own biases and may not be a completely accurate reflection of the child's personality or behavior. Visual analogue scales also rely on self-reported ratings of behavior, which may not be completely accurate or reliable.

Question 3

Sara, age 13, never seemed to have problems at home or at school until this year. Now, she seems angry with everyone and has been in several fights. What would you expect a behavioral assessment of Sara to address?

Accepted Answer

A behavioral assessment would likely focus on identifying when the change in behavior occurred to understand the context and potential triggers for Sara's recent anger and aggression.

Question 4

What term is used to describe assessments made before any treatment has started?

Accepted Answer

Baseline assessments are typically done before any treatment has started in order to establish a starting point for progress tracking.

Question 5

A psychologist decides to give his client a beeper that will signal him several times a day. What is the most likely type of assessment this psychologist is using?

Accepted Answer

The use of a beeper to signal a client several times a day suggests that the psychologist is using a cognitive assessment, as this type of assessment often involves tracking and monitoring one's thoughts and behaviors throughout the day.

Question 6

Which of these is an example of a relational assessment tool?

Accepted Answer

The Family Environment Scale is specifically designed to assess the quality of relationships within families, making it a relational assessment tool. The WAIS-R and Diagnostic Interview Schedule are cognitive and diagnostic assessment tools, respectively, while the polygraph is a tool for detecting deception.

Question 7

Why is it sometimes difficult to obtain blood pressure measures that are useful?

Accepted Answer

Blood pressure can vary throughout the day based on a person's activity level, stress, and other factors. This can make it difficult to obtain consistent and accurate measurements.

Question 8

What do polygraphs measure?

Accepted Answer

Polygraphs measure emotional responses, such as changes in breathing, heart rate, and sweat production, in response to questions asked by an examiner. However, they are not always reliable indicators of deception or guilt as there are various factors that can affect an individual's physiological responses.

Question 9

A Congressional committee is holding hearings on proposed legislation concerning polygraph use. Several experts on polygraphs have been asked to testify on various aspects of polygraphs, including their drawbacks. When the committee staff later summarizes this testimony on drawbacks what is the staff likely to write?

Accepted Answer

The question specifically asks for testimony on the drawbacks of polygraph use, and the option concerning false positives directly addresses this issue. Choices A, B, and C are not mentioned in the question stem as potential drawbacks of polygraph use.

Question 10

What is the process in which the client receives continuous reports of the level of particular bodily functions in order to learn to control these functions?

Accepted Answer

The process described is called biofeedback, which involves the use of electronic monitoring equipment to provide clients with continuous feedback about their bodily functions (such as heart rate or muscle tension) so that they can learn to control them. Self efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their ability to succeed in a task, polygraphic assessment involves the use of multiple physiological measurements to assess an individual's responses to stimuli, and systematic desensitization is a therapy technique used to treat phobias by gradually exposing the individual to the feared stimulus while teaching them relaxation techniques.

Question 11

Why is it important to have a widely recognized classification system for abnormal behavior?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is it important to have a...

Question 12

Describe what would typically occur in an assessment interview.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe what would typically occur in an...

Question 13

In what way is an objective personality test such as the MMPI-2 superior
 to a projective personality test such as the Rorschach?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In what way is an objective personality...

Question 14

Diagnosis is considered as an important step in identifying and classifying a condition. A correct diagnosis serves as a basis for effective treatment.

Accepted Answer

A correct diagnosis helps in identifying the appropriate treatment plan for a patient. It is the foundation for effective management of a medical condition.

Question 15

Classification is useful in the diagnostic and treatment process of disorders. Still, there remains controversy in its process.

Accepted Answer

While classification can be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders, there is still controversy surrounding the process. Different classifications can lead to different diagnoses and treatment plans, and some argue that classification can stigmatize individuals and overemphasize diagnostic labels instead of individualized care.

Question 16

The manner in which people's problems are classified can tell a clinician about their future and response to therapy.

Accepted Answer

The classification of a person's problems can provide important insight into their prognosis and potential response to therapy. This is why clinicians use diagnostic tools such as the DSM-5 to accurately identify and classify mental health disorders.

Question 17

The axes of DSM-IV-TR provide information about the psychological, biological, and physiological aspects of a condition.

Accepted Answer

The axes of DSM-IV-TR provide a comprehensive overview of an individual's disorder, including clinical disorders, personality disorders and mental retardation, general medical conditions, psychosocial and environmental problems, and global assessment of functioning, but they do not specifically categorize information as psychological, biological, and physiological aspects of a condition.

Question 18

Maladaptive personality features and defense mechanisms can be noted on Axis I.

Accepted Answer

Maladaptive personality features and defense mechanisms are noted on Axis II in the DSM-IV-TR classification system.

Question 19

A significant difference between DSM-IV and DSM-IV-TR is DSM-IV-TR provides criteria for coding objective factors of Axes IV and V.

Accepted Answer

The significant difference between DSM-IV and DSM-IV-TR is not about providing criteria for coding objective factors of Axes IV and V, but rather DSM-IV-TR included text revisions that clarified the criteria and descriptions for disorders without changing the diagnostic criteria. Axes IV and V were present in both versions with the same purpose.

Question 20

Among the limitations of the recent DSM is a continued reliance on impressionistic clinical judgments.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true as the DSM-5 still relies on clinician's subjective judgments and observations which may limit the reliability and validity of diagnoses.

Quiz 4: Classification and Assessment