Chapter 5, Assessment: Overview

Question 1

Psychological Assessment

Answer 1

An iterative decision-making process in which data are systematically collected on the person (or persons), the person’s history, and the person’s physical, social, and cultural environments.

Question 2

Goals that psychological assessments are meant to address…

Answer 2

a. evaluating a child’s cognitive abilities to determine whether the child is eligible for remedial services;

b. identifying the characteristics and behaviours associated with an adolescent’s repeated social rejection, so that a treatment plan can be devised to help improve the youth’s social functioning; or,

c. determining the extent of emotional impairment experienced by an adult who was in a car accident.

Question 3

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (n.d.) …

Answer 3

has enumerated all the competencies in psychological assessment required of psychologists when they become registered

Question 4

Competencies in Psychological Assessment Expected at the Point of Licensure

Answer 4

• Apply knowledge of individual and cultural characteristics in assessment and diagnosis
• Demonstrate effective interviewing
• Select instruments based on available normed data and/or criterion-referenced standards, and address any limitations in that selection
• Administer and score instruments following current guidelines and psychometric research
• Interpret and synthesize results from multiple sources following current guidelines and psychometric research
• Formulate a diagnosis, recommendations, and/or professional opinions by using relevant criteria and considering all assessment data
• Communicate assessment results in an integrative manner
• Evaluate the effectiveness of psychological services

Adapted from Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards

Question 5

Evidence-Based assessment (EBA)

Answer 5

An approach to psychological evaluation that uses research and theory to guide:
a. the variables assessed
b. the methods and measures used
c. the manner in which the assessment process unfolds

• This assessment involves the recognition that the process is a decision-making task in which the clinician must repeatedly formulate and test hypotheses by integrating data obtained throughout the assessment.

Question 6

The Steps in the development of EBA

Answer 6

1. The identification of psychological instruments
2. Using statistical procedures to integrate assessment data for individual clients and to develop scientifically sound procedures for client data to directly inform important clinical decisions

Question 7

Types of Psychological Assessment Instruments

Answer 7

• interviews
• self-report measures
• observational coding systems
• self-monitoring measures

Question 8

Youngstrom, Choukas-Bradley, Calhoun, and Jensen-Doss (2015) developed a set of equations to assist the psychologist in determining diagnoses for a client and the potential treatment impact of a number of client risk factors

Answer 8

a. The development of a data set that includes the diagnosis and clinical problems commonly experienced by clients in the clinic,
b. Literature searches to determine factors associated with these diagnoses/problems that have been demonstrated to impact treatment outcomes,
c. the compilation of a library of psychological instruments designed to contribute to the diagnostic formulation and the assessment of risk factors

Question 9

The Purpose of Psychological Assessment

Answer 9

Assessment focused-services are services conducted primarily to provide information on a person’s psychosocial functioning.

Intervention-focused services: assessments conducted in the context of intervention services.

Question 10

Examples of Assessment-Focused Services

Answer 10

such as child custody evaluations, psychoeducational assessments (learning disorders), neuropsychological assessments (following a concussion), psychosocial assessments (following motor vehicle accidents)

Question 11

What are the goals of cognitive impairment assessments?

Answer 11

The assessment is initiated to answer basic questions about the person’s current functioning or suitability for services and to provide recommendations for remedies for problems.
These remedies include referral to another specialist.
Or it could be a way to understand the difference in a person’s level of functioning before and after experiencing a trauma.

Question 12

Why do we assess?

Answer 12

• Classification
• Facilitate decision-making
• Evaluation
• Data collection

Question 13

How is Psychological Assessment Different?

Answer 13

▫ Systematic
▫ Driven by assessment questions/goals
▫ Develop and evaluate iterative hypotheses
▫ Consider multiple sources of information
▫ Integrate ↑ information in drawing conclusions

Typically consult client regarding the accuracy of conclusions

Question 14

Necessary competencies

Answer 14

• Knowledge of psychometric theory
• Knowledge of scientific, theoretical, empirical, and contextual bases of assessment
• Ability to assess intervention outcomes
• Ability to evaluate how multiple factors affect the assessment
• Ability to establish and maintain a collaborative relationship
• Understand links between assessment and intervention
• Possess technical assessment skills
• possess knowledge, skills, and techniques to assess cognition, affect, behaviour, and personality