This bundle contains a summary for all the articles for the course "Psychological Assessment" given at the University of Amsterdam. It contains the following articles:
Clinical psychodiagnostics is based on theory development of the complaints and problem behaviour (1), operationalization and measurement (2) and the application of relevant diagnostic methods (3).
There are five steps in the diagnostic process:
The earliest forms of testing emerged in China (2200 B.C). There were no tests for validity and reliability, although the tests did incorporate relevant selection criteria.
Physiognomy states that it is possible to judge the inner character of people from their appearance, specifically, the face. This is an early form of psychological testing and gave rise
........Read morePsychological assessment can provide a catalog of an individual’s cognitive, emotional and psychological strengths, weaknesses, deficits and resources. It can also provide dynamic insights into the inner workings of an individual with invaluable information for diagnosis, potential intervention and prognosis. The goal of psychological assessment is determining what will be most valuable to the individual being assessed.
........Read moreThe presenting problem (i.e. referral question) refers to determining in what way an individual’s functioning is impaired. The nature of this problem often becomes apparent through the process of the clinical interview (1), the collection of background information (2) and clinical observations (3).
The clinical interview consists of the presenting problem (1), a symptomatic evaluation (2)
........Read moreMapping out personalities is useful for choosing a career (1), personnel selection (2) and clinical diagnostics (3). There are three psychometric issues with personality tests:
For laypeople, personality refers to components of an individual’s makeup that can elicit positive or negative reactions from others.
Personality refers to an individual’s unique constellation of psychological traits that is relatively stable over time. Personality assessment refers to the measurement and evaluation of psychological traits, values, interests, attitudes, worldviews, acculturation, sense of humour, cognitive and
........Read moreObjective methods of personality assessment typically contain short-answer items for which the person being assessed needs to select a response. The answers of questions is indicative for the presence or absence of a personality trait. However, these methods are prone to response biases and the content of the items can be guided by theory.
The sign
........Read moreSpearman coined general intelligence and stated that this explained a person’s performance on intellectual tests. However, it was contested that there is one factor explaining performance on intellectual tests and multiple factors were formulated.
There are scholastic skills and skills to be able to solve new problems. Crystallized intelligence refers to the knowledge of facts and
........Read moreOn the test day, the test administrator needs to make sure the logistics are in order (1), needs to be sensitive to the client’s feelings and perceptions (2), needs to communicate clearly (3).
After scheduling the test, it is imperative to select the norm-groups with which to compare the client’s raw scores. Norm data provides important
........Read morePersonal interest is closely related to occupational fulfilment and success. These interests are solidified by the age of 15 and will remain relatively stable throughout life. It promotes better performance (1), greater productivity (2) and greater job satisfaction (3).
An interest measure refers to an instrument designed to evaluate testtakers’ likes, dislikes, leisure activities, curiosities and
........Read moreCoping refers to the thoughts and behaviours used to manage internal and external demands of situations that are appraised as stressful.
Coping is a process that unfolds in the context of a situation or condition that is appraised as personally significant and as taxing or exceeding the individual’s resources for coping. The coping process is initiated
........Read moreValues refers to a broad tendency to prefer certain state of affairs over others. Values reflect an employee’s needs and personality. Values are enduring and general in nature, rather than specific. Traits are core qualities or basic tendencies of an individual that are largely inherited. Values are an individual difference variable and can be seen as trans-situational goals.
........Read moreBurnout refers to the exhaustion of employees’ capacity to maintain an intense involvement that has a meaningful impact at work. Later, burnout was defined as a state of exhaustion in which one is cynical about the value of one’s occupation and doubtful of one’s capacity to perform.
Burnout discussions began within human services because they were
........Read moreAn adequate violence risk assessment provides insight into risk and protective factors (1) and concrete guidelines for risk management and treatment (2). This can aid in preventing violent recidivism. The structured professional approach uses systematic collection (1), reviewing (2), combining (3), weighing (4) and integrating (5) information on risk factors.
The historical, clinical, risk management-20 version
........Read moreSexual recidivism is associated with deviant sexual interests (1) and antisocial orientation / lifestyle instability (2). Deviant sexual interests refer to enduring attractions to sexual acts that are illegal or highly unusual. Antisocial orientation refers to antisocial personality, antisocial traits and a history of rule violation.
Antisocial orientation facilitates sexual offending because individuals will not commit
........Read moreImmigrant adolescents seem to be less likely to use mental health care. It is possible that problem identification is an explanation for differences in mental health service use between immigrant and non-immigrant populations.
It is possible that immigrant parents are less able to recognize mental health problems in their children than non-immigrant parents.
Dutch
........Read moreThe Dutch association of psychologists has made ethical guidelines based on responsibility (1), integrity (2), respect (3) and expertise (4). There are several important points of the guidelines for use of tests (AST):
During the diagnostic phase, the psychologist employs interview (1), observation (2) and standardized measuring instruments (3). The intake interview refers to the initial contact between the psychologist and the client. The main objectives of the intake interview are the collection of information (1) and establishing a good working relationship (2).
There are several requirements for a
........Read moreBasic knowledge of neuropsychological is required for the diagnostician because proper referral is necessary. Clinical neuropsychology refers to the scientific area that involves the study of the relationship between the brain and behaviour in patient-oriented research. In clinical neuropsychology, the focus on organic holism tends to change with lateralization and localization and vice versa.
The idea
........Read moreA successful assessment answers the referral question. This kind of assessment typically involves a case conceptualization (i.e. clear description of problems). The goal of assessment is not necessarily diagnosis or reducing descriptions of a child’s functioning to a test score.
The model of evidence-based assessment is guided by three principles:
A treatment plan should be based on the best science available. This means that the therapist must be well-informed regarding recent scientific findings. The clinical hermeneutics error refers to the therapist losing track of the actual degree of pathology due to adopting the patient’s perspective. This means that high-level depth of processing or interpreting and explaining the behaviour
........Read moreNeuroticism influences the intensity of a client’s distress. Extraversion influences the client’s enthusiasm for treatment. Openness to experience influences the client’s reactions to the therapist’s interventions. Agreeableness influences the client’s reaction to the person of the therapist. Conscientiousness influences the client’s willingness to do the work of psychotherapy.
Trait theory is helpful to the clinician by helping
........Read moreObservation in clinical psychology refers to perception with the intention to draw conclusions. It can be used to gather information about others with whom a person communicates directly or indirectly (1), relationships and situations in which a person is either involved or not involved (2) and the person himself (3).
There is a distinction between every
........Read more
Add new contribution