603 Final Exam

FES: how scale scores work (i.e., what do elevated scores mean?)

the more common the level of disturbance in the family

developmental assessments

used to assess developmental milestones and identify delays in development

psychological assessments

usually a mix of cognitive and emotional tests, self-report measures, usually used to clarify a DSM5 diagnosis

What are some things to look for in a parent-child observation?

-Are child's attempts to gain attention or solicit help noticed if so how are parents responding to it. -Emotional tone of parents behavior towards child and vice versa -Parent's reactions to the child's positive or negative emotional expression -Are Limits and discipline done in a consistent manner -Recurring themes in the parent-child interaction

Know the "four horsemen of the apocalypse" identified by John Gottman as important qualities to look for when observing marital interactions

-CRITICISM - verbally attacking personality or character. -CONTEMPT - attacking sense of self with an intent to insult or abuse. -DEFENSIVENESS - victimizing yourself to ward off a perceived attack and reverse the blame. -STONEWALLING - withdrawing to avoid conflict and convey disapproval, distance, and separation.

What are some reasons why assessment of parenting is important?

-Detect abuse -Determine at risk families -Evaluate need for parenting skills intervention -Reveal individual child or parent problems

Projective Drawings: know advantages

-easy to administer, liked by most clients, useful with guarded non-talkative clients, may help reveal problems, conflicts, disturbances that are not apparent, clients are not likely to know how to fake good or fake bad, acts as a way to break into conversation with client.

psychoeducational assessments

-focus on academic achievement and cognitive testing. -Ideal for diagnosing learning disorders and area of academic weakness

formal vs. informal observation

-formal is structured and the therapist is looking for something that they are prepared in advance to observe -informal is loose and not necessarily prepared to look for something specific, just prepared to note what you observer

Projective Drawings: disadvantages

-formal scoring systems often not used, validity of single-sign interpretations questionable, wide variability in how drawings are interpreted, evidence of validity mixed.

Natural vs. Contrived Observation

-observing in their typically occurring setting -contrived is a created situation.

unobtrusive vs participant observation

-unobtrusive is when the client is unaware they are being observed with no interaction -participant is when the observer both watches and interacts with the client as part of the observation.

CBCL: Can these be used alone to diagnosis clinical conditions?

Scales -Affective problems -Anxiety problems -Attention deficit/hyperactivity problems -Conduct problems -Oppositional defiant problems -Somatic problems -Scales were formed by including CBCL items rated by the majority (64%) of a group of experienced child psychiatrists and psychologists as being consistent with various DSM syndromes

projective tests disadvantages

-A common criticism of projective tests is their lack of standardization. -This means that different people giving the test may administer and interpret the tests differently and, therefore, the tests will yield different results.

Projective Drawings: whether a sign approach (i.e., assigning fixed meanings to individual elements in a drawing) vs. holistic approach is better (see lecture notes and Weiner, et al. article on Courses)

A holistic approach (vs. single sign interpretation) is recommended

Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ): Know what this measure primarily assesses

self-assessment of spouses' perceptions of marital interactions in the areas of constructive communication, mutual avoidance, self-demand/partner withdrawal, and partner demand/self withdraw

TAT: disadvantages

Clinicians do not consistently use the same interpretative system; questions about its reliability/validity- does it really add significantly more information than what is obtained by other methods.

CBCL: Know about the existence of multicultural norms.

National normative samples available -Multicultural norms also available based upon data collected in many different societies -Group 1 norms: combine data from societies whose mean scores were more than 1SD below the omnicultural mean -Group 2 norms: combine data from societies whose mean scores were within +1SD of the omnicultural mean -Group 3 norms: combine data from societies whose mean scores were >1SD above the omnicultural mean -Table can be consulted that lists different countries and which mean group to consult (comparison to more than one group can also be made)

CBCL: Know whether the measure has a validity scale(s) assessing test taker response style.

No validity scales: -Very low scores could reflect faking good/defensiveness/misunderstanding -High scores could reflect faking bad/exaggeration/misunderstanding

Spouse Observation Checklist: what is it?

The checklist gives access to a lot of the information and activities that is available when you're not seeing the couple.

relational failures

The client did not feel respected, engaged, appreciated, and understood by the assessor

interventional failures

The client did not learn or experience new ways of being as a result of the assessment

intrapsychic failures

The client felt less capable, demoralized, or even abused after the assessment

MMPI-2: Know how this instrument was created (empirical keying method - be able to explain or recognize what this means)

-a method for developing personality inventories in which the items (presumed to measure one or more traits) are created and then administered to a criterion group of people known to possess a certain characteristic (e.g., antisocial behavior, significant anxiety, exaggerated concern about physical health) and to a control group of people without the characteristic. -Only those items that demonstrate an ability to distinguish between the two groups are chosen for inclusion in the final inventory.

direct vs. indirect observation

-direct is when you are first hand observing with the client -indirect is when you are relying on a reported observation of behaviors by others who have contact with the client.

Parent Stress Index: Know what this instrument is used for

Assesses life stressors/situations directly related to the role of parent

Spouse Observation Checklist: What are pluses and minuses associated with its use?

It can be harder for spouses to make accurate observations of what's going on if the items, for example, on something like the spouse observation checklist are at all vague.

Know that it's based on the Process Model of Family Functioning (and what this means)

It's very helpful in determining family functioning and parenting skills and for the early identification of problems in the parent-child system. We want to identify these problems as early as we can so that we can try to prevent the development of more serious problems in either the parent, the child, or in the interaction between the two.

Conflict Tactics Scale-2: Know what this measure assesses

Measures extent to which members of a couple use specific tactics, including physical violence, during the time of conflict.

Parent Stress Index: general types of information it yields.

Measures stress in parent-child system based on parents view of: -Characteristics of child -Personal characteristics of parent -Interaction between child and parent

Kinetic Family Drawing: what is this?

The theory of Kinetic Family Drawing (K-F-D) The K-F-D method constitutes a type of reflective testing tool; the children's works can be used to gain insight into the interaction between individual family members, and into the development of the child's sense of self within the family.

FES: how scale scores work (i.e., are elevated scores always good, bad, or does it depend on scale?)

There is not a uniform meaning for higher scores on the FES scales. It all depends on the particular scale you are looking at. Social climate scale - behavior understood as an interaction of an individual with the environment.

Marital Instability Index - know what this measure assesses

This measures the couple's commitment to their relationship.

FES: Know what this scale is used to assess

social and environmental characteristics of families

Be able to select from a multiple choice format the meaning of a high or low score (e.g., "a very low score on the Values and Norms scale of the FAM-III would indicate: a) family has very divergent values and there is likely conflict around values-related issues b) family members' values are congruent with one another and the community at large, c) the family has very conservative values, d) the family has very liberal values.

b) family members' values are congruent with one another and the community at large

Self-Monitoring Behavior

client records their own behavior

Event Behavior

count every instance of behavior as a frequency

Time Sampling Behavior

predetermined intervals of time, record occurrence of behavior for each small coding interval, good for high rate behaviors and those without a clear start or end

neuropsychological assessments

focus on brain-behavior relationships and identifies areas of cognitive dysfunction

Projective Drawings: who are these types of tests good for

guarded, evasive, non-talkative clients

Rating Scales Behavior

help for evaluating qualities of specific behaviors, examples include likert scales, on the scale of

Duration Behavior

how long does the behavior last

House-Tree-Person Test: what does each element (i.e., house, tree, person) represent?

-House: may symbolize self, mother, attitude about home life and family relationships; roof: fantasy; doors/windows: accessibility; walls: ego strength; chimney: availability, warm, degree of masculinity/power, sexual issues; smoke from chimney: tension, built-up, aggression, conflict -Tree: may symbolize the self, father, feelings about inner strengths or weaknesses; branches: relationship with world, degree of growth, perceived resources; trunk: inner strength, self-esteem, intactness of personality; roots: degree to which individual is settled and secure -Person: the idea is that the person of the same sex is like you, and the person of the opposite sex is what you may not admit is like you - very Jungian arms are the way we reach out to the environment and hands are the way we effect the environment. -Open arms indicate a willingness to engage, closed arms are defensiveness, disconnected arms are powerlessness. -Pointed fingers/balled fists can be signs of aggressiveness. -Gloved hands can be anxiety/antisocial tendencies. -Legs and feet represent grounding and power. -No feet or legs that go to the end of the page can represent loss of autonomy. -Drawing of our mouths is the indication of needs being met or not think Freud.

Be able to list at least one typical assessment goal for a neuropsychological assessment

-Identify focal cognitive impairment/weakness -Describe current neuropsychological status secondary to medical diagnosis -Identify brain dysfunction vs. psychiatric diagnosis or reversible causes of cognitive dysfunction -Exploring social/emotional variables on the impact on functioning

TAT: alpha vs. beta presses (what are these?)

-In 1938, Henry Murray developed a system of needs as part of his theory of personality, which he named personology. -He argued that everyone had a set of universal basic needs, with individual differences on these needs leading to the uniqueness of personality through varying dispositional tendencies for each need; in other words, specific needs are more important to some than to others. -In his theory, Murray argues that needs and presses (another component of the theory) acted together to create an internal state of disequilibrium; the individual is then driven to engage in some sort of behavior to reduce the tension. -Murray believed that the study of personality should look at the entire person over the course of their lifespan - that people needed to be analysed in terms of complex interactions and whole systems rather than individual parts - and an individual's behaviors, needs and their levels, etc. are all part of that understanding. -Murray also argued that there was a biological (specifically neurological) basis for personality and behavior. -Murray argued environmental factors play a role in how psychogenic needs are displayed in behavior. -He used the term 'presses' to describe external influences on motivation that may influence an individual's level of a need as well as their subsequent behavior. -The 'press' of an object is what it can do for or to the subject. -Any stimulus with the potential to affect the individual in a positive or negative way is referred to as 'pressive,' and everything else is referred to as inert. -'Pressive Perception' is how the subject interprets a press as either a positive or negative stimulus. -'Pressive Apperception' refers to the subjects anticipation that the stimulus will be perceived as either positive or negative. -Murray notes that both Pressive Perception and Apperception are largely unconscious. -Presses may have positive or negative effects, may be mobile (affecting the subject if they do nothing) or immobile (affecting the subject if they take an action), and may be an alpha press (real effects) or a beta press (merely perceived).

Conflict Tactics Scale-2: limitations of this measure.

-Instructions are to consider acts that occur in the context of conflict. What about unprovoked acts? -The limited set of violent acts may leave out important experiences -Context of violence is not included: initiator of violence, size and strength of individuals involved, sequence of events -Size, weight, strength differences between men and women can complicate interpretation of minor vs. severe acts of physical violence

Be familiar with interview strategies for intimate partner violence (IPV)

-Interview separately -Begin by asking what conflict looks like in the relationship -Ask directly about IPV -Get specific behaviors -Determine frequency and last episode of IPV -Ask if clients feel safe about answering questions about IPV

Conflict Tactics Scale-2: how content changes in the revision improved over the original CTS

-Items were added to provide better coverage of constructs assessed (improved validity/reliability) -Inclusion of new scales assessing sexual coercion and injuries resulting from partner assaults -Improved distinction between minor and severe violence

Understand what Finn's level 1, level 2, and level 3 schema system refers to and how this relates to his recommendations for providing assessment feedback

-Level 1 information (that matches clients' working models) -Level 2 information (that does not fundamentally contradict, but expands clients' working models) -Level 3 information (that challenges clients' internal working models

MMPI-2: validity scales: L, F, K - what does each scale measure?

-Lie (L) - The Lie scale is intended to identify individuals who are deliberately trying to avoid answering the MMPI honestly and in a frank manner. -F - it looks at unusual or atypical test answers, like if an individual were to answer in a pattern or if too many answers seem to contradict each other. -Finally, the 'K' scale consists of 30 different items and looks at things like self-control, interpersonal relationships, and family relationships. -When all of these are scored this section of the test can recognize potential psychopathology for those who may fall into normal ranges in other areas of the test.

Microanalytic vs. macro coding systems

-Macro analytics provides a more global perspective focused on themes of interactions or behavior over time where as -micro coding is observed behavior in small time intervals

FES: general advantages

-One of the first and most widely used family assessment instruments -Often used as the criterion in validity studies of other family self-report measures -Has been translated into several languages

projective tests advantages

-Projective tests are useful because they allow psychologists to assess unconscious aspects of personality. -Projective tests are also not transparent: subjects cannot figure out how their responses will be interpreted.

Harris-Lingoes Subscales: don't need to memorize these but know what they are and why they are important (how are they used)

-Provide information concerning the kinds of items that clients endorsed for clinical scales that are elevated. -There are not Harris and Lingoes subscales for every MMPI scale because some scales (such as 1 and 7) have more homogenous item content. -Harris and Lingoes subscales exist for scales 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9. -Look for T-scores>65.

Be able to list at least 3 domains of cognitive functioning that a neuropsychologist typically evaluates when assessing a client.

-Your ability to think, understand, learn, and remember (cognition) -Memory -Motor function (walking, coordination, etc.) -Perception (how well you take in what you see or read) -Problem-solving and decision-making -Verbal ability

Understand Finn and Tonsager's 3 proposed mechanisms for making assessment therapeutic: self-verification, self-enhancement, self-efficacy/self-discovery.

-Self-verification: clients who voluntarily participate in a psychological assessment are often looking for confirmation that the way they view themselves and the world around them is accurate, or at the very least, shared by others. -Self-enhancement: the desire to be loved and praised by others and to think well of ourselves. -Self-efficacy/self-discovery: providing clients with new information about themselves and more efficient ways of organizing information and life experiences they have already had.

Draw a Person: what are general instructions for completing?

-The Draw-a-Person test (DAP, DAP test, or Goodenough-Harris Draw-a-Person test) is a psychological projective personality or cognitive test used to evaluate children and adolescents for a variety of purposes. -Test administration involves the administrator requesting children to complete three individual drawings on separate pieces of paper. -Children are asked to draw a man, a woman, and themselves. -No further instructions are given and the child is free to make the drawing in whichever way he/she would like.

MMPI-2: When would you want to have a client complete these measures?

-The MMPI is used to screen for personality and psychosocial disorders in adults (i.e., over age 18) and adolescents age 14 to 18. -It is also frequently administered as part of a neuropsychological test battery to evaluate cognitive functioning.

TAT: know basic instructions for administration

-The TAT is usually administered to individuals in a quiet room free from interruptions or distractions. -The subject sits at the edge of a table or desk next to the examiner. -The examiner shows the subject a series of story cards taken from the full set of 31 TAT cards. -The usual number of cards shown to the subject is between 10 and 14, although Murray recommended the use of 20 cards, administered in two separate one-hour sessions with the subject. -The original 31 cards were divided into three categories, for use with men only, with women only, or for use with subjects of either sex. -Recent practice has moved away from the use of separate sets of cards for men and women. -Instructions for adults are: -"I am going to show you some pictures, one at a time, and your task will be to make up a story for each card. In your story, be sure to tell what has led up to the event shown in the picture, describe what is happening at the moment, what the characters are feeling and thinking, and then give the outcome. Tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. Do you understand? I will write your stories verbatim as you tell them. Here's the first card."

TAT: know what it is

-The Thematic Appreciation Test involves showing respondents ambiguous pictures of people and asking them to come up with an explanation for what is happening in the scene. -TAT, is a projective measure intended to evaluate a person's patterns of thought, attitudes, observational capacity, and emotional responses to ambiguous test materials. -Stories reflect attitudes, desires, conflicts, fantasies of client.

MMPI-2: What kind of information can such measures give?

-The first thing that is tested is hypochondriasis, which evaluates vague or nonspecific complaints that pertain to the functioning of the body. -Next up is the depression scale, which consists of 57 different items and measures level of clinical depression. -This is done by looking at the individual's morale, a lack of hope in the future and any level of dissatisfaction that an individual may have with their life in general. -Followed by hysteria: These aspects are shyness, cynicism, neuroticism, poor physical health, and headaches. -Psychopathic Deviate: the type of social maladjustment that the individual might have as well as whether they have strong pleasant experiences. -It will also take a look at complaints or problems that the individual has with family and other authority figures as well as their level of boredom, social alienation, and self-alienation. -Masculinity/Femininity: this scale looks at things like activity versus passivity, personal sensitivity, interests, hobbies and aesthetic preferences. -In general, it looks at the rigidity of the individual's conformance to stereotypes for masculine or feminine activities and roles. -Paranoia: this is one of the shortest sections, but it looks at interpersonal sensitivity as well as suspiciousness and even the morality of self-righteousness that an individual has. -This section of the questionnaire is a little different because it seeks to trip up those who may have paranoid tendencies by offering items that acknowledge paranoid thoughts or delusional thoughts. -Psychasthenia with this scale, it tests the inability of an individual to resist a specific type of action or thought even if they may be maladaptive. -It looks at abnormal fears, difficulty in concentration, guilty feelings and thoughts or self-criticisms in its view of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. -Schizophrenia: this is the longest section of the test and evaluates strange thoughts and perceptions, poor relationships with the family, problems concentrating, problems with impulse control, social alienation, disturbing questions on self-worth and self-identity and even lack of interests and sexual problems. -Hypomania: looks at more mild degrees of elated but unstable moods, psychomotor excitement, flighty thoughts and ideas and overactivity in general, including irritability and egocentricity. -It does this by looking at behavior and cognitive functions. -Social Introversion: looks at how introverted or extroverted the individual is. -It looks at limited social skills, preference for being alone versus with others and whether the individual does well with a group of friends or not.

MMPI-2: What does a code-type refer to?

-The measure contains 10 primary clinical or personality scales. -And raw scores are converted to T scores so that a T score that is greater than or equal to 65 is considered to be clinically elevated. -The two or three highest scales are typically used to determine what is referred to as the MMPI-2 code type. -And there are various books about MMPI interpretation that will list personality and psychopathology descriptions that have been empirically correlated with various two- and three-point record types.

Draw a Person: what do variables like size of figure, line/stroke quality, emphasis on parts mean?

-The purpose of the test is to assist professionals in inferring children's cognitive developmental levels with little or no influence of other factors such as language barriers or special needs. -It estimates the progress of learning visual, cognitive, and motor skills by having the candidate draw a human figure, scoring the drawing for presence and quality of figure features, and comparing the score to children's typical rate of acquisition of figure features.

TAT: general elements of interpretation (e.g., some of the variables that are typically examined in stories)

-There are no formal, normative standards for the TAT. -The simplest procedure for studying TAT responses is the inspection technique. -Most clinicians interpret the TAT stories informally; repetitive patterns or themes become apparent by reading through a subject's stories.

Know why projective tests are given

-They are given as an objective measure to obtain information about personality dynamics, ways of viewing oneself/the world, conflict areas, defense mechanisms, interpersonal functioning, reality testing, thought processes, and affective control. -They commonly employ ambiguous stimuli, notably inkblots (Rorschach Test) and enigmatic pictures (Thematic Apperception Test) to evoke responses that may reveal facets of the subject's personality by projection of internal attitudes, traits, and behavior patterns upon the external stimuli.

FES: general disadvantages

-True/false format only -Has some normative data for ethnic minorities but could use more

CBCL: What are the DSM scales?

DSM-oriented scales available that are comprised of items consistent with different DSM-IV categories

CBCL: Know what this measure covers in terms of general content areas (e.g., commonly reported childhood problems/symptoms; competencies; etc.).

Designed by Thomas Achenbach, PhD• -Part of a family of measures (for childhood through adulthood) collectively known as the ASEBA system (Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment) -Multidimensional measure of child problems, competencies, and adaptive functioning -For youth aged 6-18* -Parent, teacher, and youth self-report (11-18) forms available -Asks about common symptoms (113) that come to the attention of mental health professionals -Rated on a 0- to 2-point scale -20 minutes to complete

Kinetic Family Drawing: how is this used with families?

Each person is to draw their own picture and questions are asked to build an idea of what is happening in the family system.

MMPI-2: If given a profile of the 10 clinical scales with the number abbreviations for each scale (e.g., 2) be able to select from a multiple choice format the meaning of an elevation on a designated scale (note: you will not have to know 2-point codes)

Elevations on: -Scale 1 (High scorers tend to be preoccupied with illness and disease and to be stubborn, pessimistic, narcissistic, and egocentric) -Scale 2 (Elevations on scale 2 are the best single predictor of level of dissatisfaction) -Scale 3 (Elevations on scale 3 are often associated with what we would consider histrionic traits) -Scale 4 (Very high scorers(e.g.,T>75)can indicate serious problems obeying social norms and acting out in antisocial ways (cheating, stealing, sexually acting out, lying) -Scale 5 (Higher T-scores for men and women indicate nontraditional gender attitudes and behaviors) -Scale 6 (Elevations on 6 can be a red flag for clinicians -Suspiciousness -Hostility -Blaming -Rigidity -Poor insight) -Scale 7 (High scorers tend to be: -Neat and meticulous -Introspective -Reliable -Persistent -Often shy and unassertive) -Scale 8 (Elevations on 8 often associated with: -Confusion -Poor decision making and judgment -Feelings of alienation -Feelings of being inferior or damaged) -Scale 9 (High scores(T>85)maybe indicative of a bipolar disorder) -Scale 10 (Elevated scores:discomfort in social situations -Shy -Lacking in confidence -Withdrawn -Indecisive and insecure -Sensitive to how others may judge them -Serious -Often irritable/anxious/moody -Compliant/overly accepting of authority)

Projective Drawings: what are limitations

Formal scoring systems often not used

Marital Instability Index - the score Gottman uses as an indicator of concern

Gottman: score of 4 and above indicates the respondent is "emotionally out the door" and seriously in danger of leaving the marriage.

CBCL: Know what the different forms are that can be completed by different informants (e.g., parent, teacher report, etc.).

Parent, teacher, and youth self-report (11-18) forms available....

Gottman's Emotional Communication Game - what is the purpose of this?

a semi-observational questionnaire to assess specific behaviors in the marital relationship

TAT: advantages

potential to access deeper, covert structures of personality; lower susceptibility to dissimulation; ability to potentially offer insight into a number of facets of psychological functioning; good at evaluating interpersonal processes

CBCL: Know that scales assessing specific kinds of problematic behavior/symptoms can be grouped...

into higher order scales assessing broader domains of problems.

drawbacks of observational measures of couple/family functioning

it is hard to see them in their natural settings, a clinical setting can feel artificial and may not give the best information

Benefits of observational measures of couple/family functioning

it picks up on nonverbal, and gives a look at social interaction between the couple

Gottman's Emotional Communication Game - when might it be good to include in an assessment/treatment of a couple?

nearly all conflicts are played out in communication