Question 1

Generally,psychologists are interested in correlation coefficients only if they are greater than +/-.65.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. There is no set threshold for what correlation coefficient psychologists are interested in. The strength and significance of a correlation depends on the research question and context.

Question 2

One criticism of the MMPI-II is that it has no scales devoted to an assessment of faking or lying on the part of the respondents.

Accepted Answer

The MMPI-II does have scales that assess for faking or lying, including the L (Lie) scale, K (Defensiveness) scale, F (Infrequency) scale, and the Fb (Back) scale. These scales are designed to detect attempts to present oneself in a socially desirable or deceptive manner.

Question 3

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)is based on the contrasted- groups method of ascertaining validity.

Accepted Answer

The MMPI is indeed based on the contrasted-groups method of ascertaining validity, which involves testing a group of individuals with known characteristics and comparing their results to those of the population being studied. This allows for the identification of patterns of responses that are associated with certain traits or conditions.

Question 4

Linda is conducting a study in which neither the subjects nor the experimenters know who is getting medication and who is getting the placebo.This study design is most frequently called a double-unaware design.

Accepted Answer

This study design is most frequently called a double-blind design.

Question 5

The semi-structured interview can include the flexibility and rapport advantages of an unstructured interview while reducing the problems of subjectivity and bias.

Accepted Answer

Semi-structured interviews allow for some flexibility in questioning and rapport building while also incorporating predetermined questions, reducing the potential for subjective questioning and bias.

Question 6

Define psychological assessment.In your answer,include the following terms: assessment tools,clinical interview,psychological testing,reliability,and validity.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define psychological assessment.In your answer,include the following...

Question 7

The main problem with the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt test is that it produces many false negatives.

Accepted Answer

The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt test has been criticized for being too sensitive to neurological and emotional disturbances, leading to false negatives or individuals being misdiagnosed as having no issue when they actually do.

Question 8

The Mental Status Examination is the most frequently used structured clinical interview.

Accepted Answer

The Mental Status Examination (MSE) is a structured way of observing and describing a patient's current state of mind, under the domains of appearance, attitude, behavior, mood and affect, speech, thought process, thought content, perception, cognition, insight, and judgement. However, it is not a clinical interview but rather a part of the clinical assessment process. Structured clinical interviews, such as the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID), are more comprehensive tools specifically designed for diagnosing mental disorders.

Question 9

The results of an MMPI-II assessment give a clinician a DSM-5 diagnosis.

Accepted Answer

The MMPI-II is a personality assessment tool, not a diagnostic tool. While the results can provide information about potential mental health concerns, it is not designed to give a DSM-5 diagnosis. A diagnosis should only be made by a licensed mental health professional using multiple sources of information, including but not limited to assessment results.

Question 10

The first scientific study of intellectual functioning was conducted by French psychologist Alfred Binet.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The first scientific study of intellectual functioning...

Question 11

The case study is both the oldest and most currently used approach to the study of abnormal behavior.

Accepted Answer

The case study is one of the oldest methods used in psychology, but it is not the most currently used approach. Other methods, such as experimental and longitudinal studies, are also widely used in the study of abnormal behavior.

Question 12

The Halstead-Reitan consists of six subtests: category,rhythm,tactual performance,tapping,grip strength,and auditory.

Accepted Answer

The Halstead-Reitan battery consists of six subtests which include category, rhythm, tactual performance, tapping, grip strength, and auditory.

Question 13

The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test is the oldest and most commonly used neuropsychological test.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test is the...

Question 14

The Exner system was developed in an attempt to increase the reliability and validity of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

Accepted Answer

The Exner system was developed for the Rorschach inkblot test, not the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

Question 15

CT and MRI provide a static image of the brain whereas PET and fMRI produce a dynamic image of the functioning brain.

Accepted Answer

CT and MRI produce structural images of the brain, which do not show the brain's activity or functioning. PET and fMRI produce images that show the activity and functioning of the brain in real-time, making them dynamic.

Question 16

A researcher aiming to demonstrate that stable,internal and global (self-blame)attributions for negative events cause depression must achieve a correlation of +0.50 or greater between measures of attribution and depression symptoms.

Accepted Answer

Correlation does not imply causation; thus, a correlation of +0.50 or greater between measures of attribution and depression symptoms would not demonstrate that such attributions cause depression, but rather that there is a relationship between the two variables. Demonstrating causation requires experimental or longitudinal studies that can control for other variables and establish a temporal sequence.

Question 17

The change in behaviour often seen when people are aware of being observed is often called subject reactivity.

Accepted Answer

Subject reactivity refers to the phenomenon where individuals modify their behavior when they are aware of being observed. This can occur due to a variety of factors, including social desirability bias, demand characteristics, and evaluation apprehension.

Question 18

In an experiment,the control group experiences all aspects of the experiment in a manner identical to the experimental group,except for the manipulation of the dependent variable.

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, the control group experiences all aspects of the experiment in a manner identical to the experimental group, except for the manipulation of the independent variable, not the dependent variable. The independent variable is what is manipulated to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

Question 19

Random assignment is a procedure that ensures that each participant in an experiment has an equal probability of being in either the experimental or control groups.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment aims to eliminate any potential biases in assigning participants to groups, so that each participant has an equal chance of being in either the experimental or control group.

Question 20

When two variables exert their influence at the same time,making it impossible to accurately establish the causal role of either variable,a confound is said to occur.

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of a confound.

Quiz 4: Psychological Assessment and Research Methods