Question 1

If a clinician begins by asking, "Would you tell me about yourself?," the clinician is MOST likely conducting a(n):

Accepted Answer

The question "Would you tell me about yourself?" is an open-ended question that allows the patient to provide a broad range of information about themselves, indicating an unstructured interview. In a structured interview, questions are more standardized and specific, while an unstructured interview allows for more flexibility in the conversation. A mental status exam typically involves more specific questions about the patient's cognitive and emotional state, while an interview schedule is a more formal and structured approach to gathering specific information.

Question 2

Which statement about the use of projective techniques by today's clinicians is true?

Accepted Answer

While projective techniques are still used by some clinicians today, their centrality has declined since their introduction. They are often seen as only one piece of a larger diagnostic puzzle and are not relied upon as heavily as they once were.

Question 3

When a clinician using the Rorschach focuses on the actual images that a person "sees," the clinician is emphasizing:

Accepted Answer

The clinician is emphasizing the theme, which refers to the content or actual images that the person perceives in the inkblots.

Question 4

One limitation of the clinical interview as an assessment tool is that:

Accepted Answer

The limitation of the clinical interview is that clients may give an overly positive picture, presenting themselves in a more positive light than is accurate. This can be due to social desirability bias, embarrassment, or lack of insight. Therefore, the clinician may not get an accurate understanding of the client's actual experience or mental health issues.

Question 5

Using projective tests for personality assessment is designed to:

Accepted Answer

Projective tests, such as the Rorschach or Thematic Apperception Test, are designed to reveal unconscious conflicts and motives of the client, making option B the correct choice. They are not typically used to perform a functional analysis of the client (option A) or obtain detailed information about specific dysfunctional behaviors (option C) or cognitions (option D).

Question 6

Use of projective tests has decreased in the past few decades because projective tests often have:

Accepted Answer

Projective tests are subjective in nature and rely heavily on the interpretation of the examiner, making their validity questionable. As a result, their use in psychological assessment has decreased in recent years in favor of more objective and reliable measures.

Question 7

Who is MOST at risk for misinterpreting a cultural response as pathology?

Accepted Answer

A dominant-culture assessor may lack understanding and experience with cultural nuances and may interpret behaviors and responses outside of their own cultural framework as abnormal or pathological. Immigrant and ethnic-minority clients may have a better understanding of their cultural responses, and ethnic-minority assessors may have a greater awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences.

Question 8

A clinician has developed a test that requires test-takers to tell stories about a series of pictures of city skylines. MOST likely, this new test is a:

Accepted Answer

The use of pictures to elicit stories from test-takers is a characteristic of projective tests, which rely on the interpretation of ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious thoughts, feelings, and tendencies. Neuropsychological tests, by contrast, assess cognitive and neurological functioning, while personality and response inventories typically use self-report measures to assess specific traits or behaviors.

Question 9

A person says, "I always trust my first impressions, especially when my first impression of someone is negative." Based on research dealing with clinical interviews, the BEST response to this statement would be:

Accepted Answer

Research on clinical interviews has shown that first impressions, especially negative ones, may not be accurate. It is important to be cautious and not rely solely on first impressions.

Question 10

If a clinician is particularly interested in a client's family background and community influences, MOST likely that clinician's orientation is:

Accepted Answer

A clinician who is interested in a client's family background and community influences is likely to have a sociocultural orientation, which focuses on how social and cultural factors contribute to a person's behavior, thoughts, and emotions. This orientation emphasizes the importance of cultural and environmental influences on the individual and the therapeutic process.

Question 11

Which statement is a reason to question the validity of clinical interviews?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which statement is a reason to question...

Question 12

Which test is a personality inventory?

Accepted Answer

The MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2) is a personality inventory test that assesses various traits and psychopathologies. It consists of over 500 true/false questions and is one of the most commonly used personality tests in clinical and forensic settings. The other options (A, C, D) are projective tests, which are a different type of personality assessment that involve interpreting ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious thoughts and feelings.

Question 13

Which test is NOT a projective test?

Accepted Answer

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is not a projective test. It is a personality inventory that uses a self-report format to assess personality traits and psychopathology. Projective tests, on the other hand, use ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious processes and personality characteristics. The other choices (A, C, and D) are projective tests.

Question 14

The assumption behind the use of projective tests as assessment tools is that:

Accepted Answer

Projective tests are based on the assumption that people will project their unconscious thoughts and feelings onto ambiguous stimuli, and therefore, people's responses can reveal their unconscious thoughts and feelings.

Question 15

Dr. Martin has just asked a potential client to talk about herself. As she responds, the doctor's next question is based on some interesting point the client made. There are few constraints on the conversation. Dr. Martin has just:

Accepted Answer

Dr. Martin is conducting an unstructured interview, which allows for open-ended conversation with few constraints. The questions are based on the client's responses and can lead to a deeper understanding of the client's thoughts and feelings. This approach is commonly used in clinical psychology and therapy sessions.

Question 16

A patient looks at a series of black-and-white pictures, making up a dramatic story about each. The patient is taking:

Accepted Answer

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) requires the patient to tell a story about a series of ambiguous black-and-white pictures. This test helps to reveal unconscious thoughts and feelings, as well as the patient's perception of interpersonal relationships.

Question 17

An interviewer who asks a client questions such as "Where are you now?," "Why do you think you're here?," or even "Who are you?" is probably conducting a(n):

Accepted Answer

These types of questions are commonly asked in a mental status exam, which is used to assess a client's current mental state and functioning. The other options - behavioral interview, sociocultural interview, and intelligence test - involve different types of questions and assessments.

Question 18

If a clinician focused on where a person placed a drawing on a page, the size of the drawing, and the parts omitted, the person MOST likely took which test?

Accepted Answer

The Draw-a-Person test asks the participant to draw a person and provides insight into their cognitive and emotional development, as well as possible personality traits. The clinician can analyze the placement, size, and details included in the drawing to make interpretations about the person's psychological state. The Rorschach test assesses personality characteristics and possible emotional problems through the interpretation of inkblots, the TAT evaluates a person's patterns of thought, attitudes, and emotional responses through storytelling, and the MMPI is a personality inventory used to diagnose mental health disorders.

Question 19

If a clinician is particularly interested in a client's family medical history, that clinician's orientation is MOST likely:

Accepted Answer

A clinician who is interested in a client's family medical history is most likely oriented toward the biological perspective, as they are interested in the genetic and biological factors that may be impacting the client's health or mental health. The behavioral perspective focuses on observable behaviors and learning experiences, the sociocultural perspective considers the social and cultural context in which the client lives, and the cognitive perspective examines the client's thought patterns and beliefs.

Question 20

When Rorschach testers ask questions like, "Did the person respond to the whole picture or to specific details, and to the colors or the white spaces?," they are interested in the _____ of the response.

Accepted Answer

The testers are interested in the style of the response, specifically whether the person focused on the whole picture or specific details, and the use of colors or white spaces. This relates to the individual's cognitive and perceptual style, rather than the content or theme of their response.

Quiz 4: Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment

If a clinician begins by asking, "Would you tell me about yourself?," the clinician is MOST likely conducting a(n) :