CHAPTER 3, ASSESSMENT FOR PSYCHODIAGNOSIS

PSY 266, Abnormal Psychology

ASSESSING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

• “…the process of gathering information and drawing conclusions about the traits, skills, abilities, mental functioning, and psychological problems of the individual, generally for use in developing a diagnosis.”

TOOLS FOR ASSESSMENT The process:

Observe Interview Neurological tests Psych. Tests and inventories

Which must be….

• All of these “Assessments” must be…• Reliable – measures same way each time

– Test-rest reliability (same person twice)– Internal consistency (split-half )– Interrater reliability (different raters – same score?)

• Valid – does it measure what it CLAIMS to measure?

– Predictive? (of the future)– Criterion related? (really measuring something

else?)– Construct? (correlate with other tests?)

• Standardized (same administration/same comparison group)(your “assessment”)

OBSERVATIONS Controlled (in lab or office) Naturalistic (school, office,

home) Include interviews Reactivity might occur (observer

should be objective and unobtrusive.)

Reliable?Valid?

Standardized?

INTERVIEWS

Structured (checklist) Unstructured (e.g. Psych

Eval ) Questions Observations Tasks

Psychological Evaluation

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND INVENTORIES

Rorschach Inkblot Test

ANOTHER RORSCHACH

THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST (TAT)

ANOTHER TAT

Criticisms:

• Not standardized• Culture influences stories• Pictures tend to be negative• Based on Freud’s

“repression”

OTHER TESTS• Sentence completion: My

mother always ________.• Draw a person:

• Self-report inventories:-- MMPI• Beck Depression Inv

entory• IQ: WISC, WAIS,

WPPSI• Stanford-Binet

Reliable? Valid?

NEUROLOGICAL TESTS CT Scan – (x-rays) PET Scan –

(radioactive) EEG – (Brainwaves) MRI – (Magnetic Field)

DSM-IV Shaky beginnings Allows mental health

professionals to talk to each other about patients/clients.

PSYCH EVAL Five Axes from the DSM-IV Also look for Co-morbidity -more

than one Axis I, II, III disorders Severity of the disorder Remission

ProblemsLabels peopleCould lead to incorrect treatmentSelf-fulfilling prophecy (if patient doesn’t have)ignores how well a person functions

Psychological Evaluation