CH.3 Flashcards

clinical assessment, diagnosis, and research in psychopathology

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1
Q

clinical assesment

A

systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors in a person presenting with a possible psychological disorder

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2
Q

diagnosis

A

process of determining whether a presenting problem meets the established criteria for a specific psychological disorder

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3
Q

reliability

A

degree to which a measurement is consistent - for example, over time or among different raters

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4
Q

validity

A

degree to which a technique measures what it purports to measure

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5
Q

standardization

A

process of establishing specific norms and requirements for a measurement technique to ensure it is used consistently across measurement occasions. this includes instructions for administering the measure, evaluating its findings, and comparing these to data for large numbers of people

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6
Q

mental status exam

A

relatively coarse preliminary test of a client’s judgement, orientation to time and place, and emotional and mental state; typically conducted during an initial interview

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7
Q

behavioral assessment

A

measuring, observing, and systematically evaluating (rather than inferring) the client’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the actual problem situation or context.

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8
Q

self-monitoring

A

action by which clients observe and record their own behaviors as either an assessment of a problem and its change or treatment procedure that makes them more aware of their responses. also known as self observation

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9
Q

projective tests

A

psychoanalytically based measure that presents ambiguous stimuli to clients on the assumption that their responses can reveal their unconscious conflicts. such tests are inferential and lack high reliability and validity

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10
Q

personality inventories

A

self report questionnaire that assesses personal traits by asking respondents to identify descriptions that apply to themselves

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11
Q

intelligence quotient (IQ)

A

score on an intelligence test estimating a person’s deviation form average test performance

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12
Q

neuropsychological test

A

assessment of brain and nervous system functioning by testing an individual’s performance on behavioral tasks.

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13
Q

false positive

A

assessment error in which pathology is reported (that is, test results are positive) when none is actually present

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14
Q

false negative

A

assessment error in which no pathology is noted (that is, test results are negative) when one is actually present

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15
Q

neuroimaging

A

sophisticated computer-aided procedure that allows nonintrusive examination of neurous system structure and function

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16
Q

psychophysiological assessment

A

measurement of changes in the nervous system reflecting psychological or emotional events such as anxiety, stress, and sexual arousal.

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17
Q

electroencephalogram (EEG)

A

measure of electrical activity patterns in the brain, taken through electrodes placed on the scalp

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18
Q

idiographic strategy

A

a close and detailed investigation of an individual emphasizing what makes that person unique. (compare with nomothetic strategy)

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19
Q

nomothetic strategy

A

identification and examination of large groups of people with the same disorder to note similarities and develop general laws

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20
Q

classification

A

assignment of objects or people to categories on the basis of shared characteristics

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21
Q

taxonomy

A

system of naming and classification (for example, of specimens) in science.

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22
Q

nosology

A

classification and naming system for medical and psychological phenomena

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23
Q

nomenclature

A

in a naming system or nosology, the actual labels or names that are applied. in psychopathology, these include mood disorders and eating disorders

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24
Q

classical (or pure) categorical approach

A

classification method founded on the assumption of clear-cut differences among disorders, each with a different known cause. also known as pure categorical approach.

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25
Q

dimensional approach

A

method of categorizing characteristics on a continuum rather than on a binary, either-or, or all-or-none basis

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26
Q

prototypical approach

A

system for categorizing disorders using both essential, defining characteristics and a range of variation on other characteristics

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27
Q

familial aggregation

A

extent to which a disorder would be found among a patient’s relatives

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28
Q

comorbidity

A

presence of two or more disorders in an individual at the same time

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29
Q

labeling

A

applying a name to a phenomenon or a pattern of behavior. the label may acquire negative connotations or be applied erroneously to the person rather than that person’s behaviors.

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30
Q

hypothesis

A

educated guess or statement to be tested by research

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31
Q

research design

A

plan of experimentation used to test a hypothesis

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32
Q

dependent variable

A

in an experimental study, the phenomenon that is measured and expected to be influenced (compare with independent variable)

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33
Q

independent variable

A

phenomenon manipulated by the experimenter in a study and expected to influence the dependent variable

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34
Q

internal validity

A

extent to which the results of a study can be attributed to the independent variable after confounding alternative explanations have been ruled out

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35
Q

external validity

A

extent to which research findings generalize, or apply, to people and settings not involved in the study

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36
Q

testability

A

ability of a hypothesis, for example, to be subjected to scientific scrutiny and to be accepted or rejected, a necessary condition for the hypothesis to be useful

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37
Q

confound

A

any factor occurring in a study that makes the results uninterpretable because its effects cannot be separated from those of the variables being studied

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38
Q

confounding variable

A

variable in a research study that was not part of the intended design and that may contribute to changes in the dependent variable

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39
Q

control group

A

group of individuals in a study who are similar to the experimental subjects in every way but are not exposed to the treatment received by the experimental group. their presence allows for a comparison of the differential effects of the treatment

40
Q

randomization

A

method for placing individuals into research groups that assures each an equal chance of being assigned to any group, thus eliminating any systematic differences across groups.

41
Q

analogue models

A

approach to research that employs subjects who are similar to clinical clients, allowing replication of a clinical problem under controlled conditions

42
Q

generalizability

A

extent to which research results apply to a range of individuals not included in the study

43
Q

statistical significance

A

small probability of obtaining the observed research findings by chance

44
Q

clinical significance

A

degree to which research findings have useful and meaningful applications to real problems

45
Q

effect size

A

a statistical process that eliminates how large a change in measure occurred. often used before and after a clinical treatment to determine its relative success

46
Q

patient uniformity myth

A

tendency to consider all members of a category as more similar than they are, ignoring their individual differences

47
Q

case study method

A

research procedure in which a single person or small group is studied in detail. the method does not allow conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships, and findings can be generalized only with great caution (contrast with single-case experimental design)

48
Q

correlation

A

degree to which two variables are associated. in a positive correlation, the two variables increase or decrease together. in a negative correlation, one variable decreases as the other increases

49
Q

positive correlation

A

association between two variables in which one increases as the other increases

50
Q

correlation coefficient

A

computed statistic reflecting the strength and direction of any association between two variables. it can range from 21.00 through 0.00 (indicating no association) to 11.00, with the absolute value indicating the strength and the sign reflecting the direction.

51
Q

negative correlation

A

association between two variables in which one increases as the other decreases

52
Q

directionality

A

possibility that when two variables, a and b, are correlated variable a causes variable b or variable b causes variable a.

53
Q

epidemiology

A

psychopathology research method examining the prevalence, distribution, and consequences of disorders in populations

54
Q

experiment

A

research method that can establish causation by manipulating the variables in question and controlling for alternative explanations of any observed effects

55
Q

placebo effect

A

behavior change resulting from the person’s expectation of change rather than from the experimental manipulation itself

56
Q

placebo control groups

A

in outcome research, a control group that does not receive the experimental manipulation buy is given a similar procedure with an identical expectation of change, allowing the researcher to assess any placebo effect

57
Q

double-blind control

A

procedure in outcome research that prevents bias by ensuring that neither the subjects nor the providers of the experimental treatment know who is receiving treatment and who is receiving a placebo

58
Q

comparative treatment research

A

outcome research that contrasts two or more treatment methods to determine which is most effective

59
Q

single-case experimental designs

A

research tactic in which an independent variable is manipulated for a single individual, allowing cause-and-effect conclusions buy with limited generalizability (contrast with case study method).

60
Q

repeated measurement

A

when responses are measured on more than two occasions (not just before and after intervention) to assess trends.

61
Q

variability

A

degree of change in a phenomenon over time

62
Q

trend

A

direction of change of a behavior or behaviors (for example, increasing or decreasing).

63
Q

level

A

degree of behavior change with different interventions (for example, high or low).

64
Q

withdrawal design

A

removing a treatment to note whether it has been effective. in single-case experimental designs, a behavior is measured (baseline), and independent variable is introduced (intervention), and then the intervention is withdrawn. because the behavior continues to be measured throughout (repeated measurement), any effects of the intervention can be noted.

65
Q

baseline

A

measured rate of behavior before introduction of an intervention that allows comparison and assessment of the effects of the intervention

66
Q

multiple baseline

A

single-case experimental design in which measures are taken on two or more behaviors or on a single behavior in two or more situations. a particular intervention is introduced for each at different times. if behavior change is coincident with each introduction, this is strong evidence the intervention caused the change

67
Q

phenotypes

A

observable characteristics or behaviors of an individual

68
Q

genotypes

A

specific genetic makeup of an individual

69
Q

human genome project

A

ongoing scientific attempt to develop a comprehensive map of all human genes

70
Q

endophenotypes

A

genetic mechanism that contributes to the underlying problems causing the symptoms and difficulties experienced by people with psychological disorders

71
Q

family studies

A

genetic study that examines patterns of traits and behaviors among relatives

72
Q

proband

A

in genetics research, the individual displaying the trait or characteristic being studied

73
Q

adoption studies

A

in genetics research, the study of first-degree relatives reared in different families and environments. if they share common characteristics, such as a disorder, this finding suggests that those characteristics have a genetic component

74
Q

twin studies

A

in genetics research, the comparison of wins with unrelated or less closely related individuals. if twins, particularly monozygotic twins who share identical genotypes, share common characteristics such as a disorder, even if they were reared in different environments, then strong evidence of genetic involvement in those characteristics exist.

75
Q

genetic linkage analysis

A

study that seeks to match the inheritance pattern of a disorder to that of a genetic marker. this helps researchers establish the location of the gene responsible for the disorder

76
Q

genetic markers

A

inherited characteristic for which the chromosomal location of the responsible gene is known

77
Q

association studies

A

research strategy for comparing genetic markers in groups of people with and without a particular disorder

78
Q

cross-sectional design

A

methodology to examine a characteristic by comparing individuals of different ages (contrast with longitudinal design).

79
Q

cohorts

A

participants in each age group of a study with a cross-sectional design

80
Q

cohort effect

A

observation that people of different age groups differ in their values and experiences

81
Q

retrospective information

A

literally “the view back;” data collected by examining records or recollections of the past. it is limited by the accuracy, validity, and thoroughness of the sources

82
Q

longitudinal designs

A

systematic study of changes in the same individual or group examined over time (contrast with cross-sectional design).

83
Q

cross-generational effect

A

limit on the generalizability of longitudinal research because the group under study may differ from others in culture and experience.

84
Q

sequential design

A

combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs involving repeated study of different cohorts over time

85
Q

informed consent

A

ethical requirement whereby research subjects agree to participate in a study only after they receive full disclosure about the nature of the study and their own role in it

86
Q

DSM

A

classification newly relied on specific lists of symptoms, improving reliability and validity
disorders are ctegorized under broad headings
empirically-grounded, protoytpic approach to classification

87
Q

What are the purposes of clinical assessments?

A

To understand the individual
To predict behavior
To plan treatment
To evaluate treatment outcome

88
Q

Define reliability

A

The degree to which a measure is consistent

89
Q

What are the components of a mental status exam?

A
Appearance and behavior
Thought processes
Mood and affect
Intellectual functioning
Sensorium (general orientation)
90
Q

Describe the Rorschach testwhat are the criticisms?

A

Ambiguous stimuli of 10 inkblot pictures
Early use criticized for lack of data on reliability or validity
No standardized administration until recently

91
Q

What are the objectives of neuroimaging?

A

Understand brain structure

Understand brain function

92
Q

Describe the nomothetic strategy of classification

A
A strategy used to determine a general class of problems to which this individual’s presenting problem belongs
 Often used when identifying a specific psychological disorder, to make a diagnosis
93
Q

What is external validity?

A

Extent to which results of a study are generalizable to the population it’s studying

94
Q

What is correlation?

A

Assess the degree to which levels of certain variables are linked to levels of other variables

95
Q

research ethics

A
institutional  review boards (IRBs) and the APA ethics code
informed consent
competence
voluntarism
full information
comprehension