Clinical Psychology

Group 4 Angeles, Almera

Bueno, KerrDelamide, AiwennEvangelista, Nigel

Fabilla, AlvinManguera, Triccie

Questions 1 & 2

What is a test?

• Tests or examinations are systematic procedures to measure an individual’s observable action or behavior in a certain time.

• Test measures diverse concepts and topics like knowledge, ability, skills and even personality

What is a test?

• Can be administered orally, written, in computer.

• Standardized Test• Non-Standardized Test

What is a psychological test?

• Psychological testing — also called psychological assessment — is the foundation of how psychologists better understand a person and their behavior (Framingham, 2011).

• Psychological tests are standardized procedure for observing and measuring an action or behavior

What is a psychological test?

• psychological tests differ in various concepts terms of the

1.behavior performed2. what they measure3. test content, 4. their administration and test format5.scoring procedures and interpretation6. psychometric quality - reliability - validity

Question 3 & 4

Different kinds of psychological tests

• Achievement and aptitude tests, preferably called Intelligence tests, attempt to measure your intelligence, or your basic ability to understand the world around you, assimilate its functioning, and apply this knowledge to enhance the quality of your life.

• Neuropsychological tests attempt to measure deficits in cognitive functioning that may result from some sort of brain damage, such as a stroke or a brain injury.

• Occupational tests attempts to match your interests with the interests of persons in known careers

• Personality tests attempt to measure your basic personality style and are most used in research or forensic settings to help with clinical diagnoses.– Objective tests present specific questions or

statements that are answered by selecting one of a set of alternatives.

– Projective tests are those that allow complex verbal or graphic responses to ambiguous stimuli.

Common Methods of constructing a psychological tests

• Analytic approach, sometimes called the rational approach, creates test materials of items by analyzing the content of a domain and matching questions that the psychologist’s believes that taps the content.

• empirical approach, the tester lets the content choose itself. This approach is best used when making specific predictions about people.

• The sequential approach combines the aspects of analytical and empirical techniques.

Questions 5 & 6

5. Enumerate the current issues on the use of psychological tests.

a. Psychological tests are not as valid as Medical tests – since psychological tests are only a sample of behavior, it does not imply that the test results would define the holistic personality of the person (Kramer, Bernstein, & Phares, 2009).

b. Clinical Utility and Evidence-Based Assessment – only a few psychological tests were used for treatment decisions. There has been a little focus on the extent to which tests can be used to select treatments (Kramer, Bernstein, & Phares, 2009).

c. Legality concerns for Americans with Disabilities – this has something to do with proper accommodations for Americans with disabilities. According to the ADA of 1990, there should be necessary accommodations for any person who cannot conform to normal test-taking protocols (Stone, 2011).

c. Informed Consent – the client should be informed about the whole testing procedure. The purpose, duration, and the procedures included in the test should be discussed with the client (Stone, 2011).

d. Confidentiality – clinicians must maintain records efficiently, securely, and effectively (Stone, 2011).

6. What are the ethical parameters for psychological testing?

PRINCIPLE APPLICATIONProfessional / Scientific Responsibility Clinicians should be aware of the different testing measures

such as validity and reliability. The test limitations and uses should be thought of as well.

Social Responsibility Clinicians should be aware of the right to privacy of their clients.

Access to test materials The tests should only be available to qualified users.

Competence Clinicians should know very well the tests they are administering. They should be knowledgeable in terms of the test administration and interpretation.

Respect for rights and dignity Clinicians should administer the test only to people who are appropriate for the test.

Integrity Clinicians should use the test for what it is intended to. The interpretations made should be based on empirical evidence.

Concern for other’s welfare The test administered should be used appropriately without the intention of harming the client. The clinician should be aware of the presence of potential harm in the testing procedure and should always inform the client about it.

Question 7 & 8

7. Enumerate the criteria for judging the soundness of a psychological test?

Criterion What is it

Norms Measures central tendency and variability for the test obtained from a large, representative standardization sample. These allow meaningful interpretations of scores.

Internal Consistency Reliability Measure of reliability, usually accomplished by split half method

Test - Retest reliability Similarity of results from repeat testings of the same person

Interrater Reliability Similarity of results when multiple raters independently scores on the same test

Content Validity Items on the test adequately sample all important domains associated with the trait or ability being measured

Construct Validity Results of the test correlate of other well established measures of the same construct

Generalization Validity The degree to which the test results remain valid across different segments of the population

Clinical Utility The degree to which the test results clearly point to specific preffered treatments or can reliably measure changes that results from treatment

8. Define Intelligence and the theories that explain it.

• General Intelligence Model (g)– One theory often favored by those employing a mental

testing, or Psychometric approach to intelligence, describes intelligence as a general characteristic.

– Originally proposed by Spearman (1904) the notion of intelligence as a global, general ability has come to be referred to as simply g.

– g is presumed to be an underlying biological or psychological trait that influences all cognitive abilities.

8.Define Intelligence and the theories that explain it.

• Multiple Specific Intelligence Models• According to this model, Intelligence is better

understood as a collection of relatively separate abilities.

– Triarchic Theory • Robert Sternberg argues that there are three basic

kinds of intelligence, analytical, creative and practical. Conventional test measure only the first kind well.

8. Define Intelligence and the theories that explain it.

Multiple Specific Intelligence Models– Multiple Intelligence theory

• Howard Gardner introduced eight intelligence or frames of the mind. These are Verbal, Mathematical, Spatial, Bodily-kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Naturalistic

8. Define Intelligence and the theories that explain it

• Hierarchical and Factor Analytic Model– In this compromise view, separate and general

cognitive abilities are related in a hierarchal fashion.

– At the most elemental level are specific abilities such as vocabulary knowledge, visual pattern, recognition and the like. Specific abilities are not entirely independent of each other.

– Certain ones correlate because they share a common factor.

Question 9 & 10

Binet Intelligence Scales

Binet Intelligence Scales

• Alfred Binet- his contribution became the most influential

means of assessing children’s mental ability• 1905- 30 questions and tasks• 1908- tasks became age-graded

- brought to US by Goddard and further revised by Terman

• 2003- most recent version (SB5)

Binet Intelligence Scales: Purpose

• Originally developed to help place children in appropriate educational settings.

• Helps in determining the intellectual level and cognitive functioning of preschoolers, children, adolescents and adults.

• Assists in the diagnosis of a learning disability, developmental delay, mental retardation or giftedness.

Binet Intelligence Scales: Advantages

• Underwent an extensive review which covers a wider age range (2-85).

• Provides a large research sample.• Gamelike- with colorful artwork, toys and

manipulatives• Equal balance of verbal and nonverbal content

in all factors

Binet Intelligence Scales: Advantages

• Extends low-end items, allowing earlier identification of individuals with delays or cognitive difficulties

• Extends high-end items to measure gifted adolescents and adults

Binet Intelligence Scales: Limitations

• The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale is probably one of the most well developed standardized tests in the field of education. It underwent several revisions and validity tests. And this is why the scores of this assessment instrument are sometimes treated as unquestionable.

Binet Intelligence Scales: Limitations

• Individual’s intelligence is assessed by using more than one instrument and is influenced by several factors. And there are instances when the scores obtained from this test can be rendered invalid.

Binet Intelligence Scales: Limitations

• According to study, person’s ability to score high in verbal reasoning is not affected by the presence of psychosis. In this case, this assessment test could not be used as a sole instrument for determining mental health. Aside from such cases, this test remains a fairly reliable way to measure intelligence.

Wechsler’s Intelligence Scales

Wechsler’s Intelligence Scales

• Dr. David Wechsler• 1939- Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale

- was designed to measure intellectual performance by adults

Wechsler’s Intelligence Scales: Types

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- clinical instrument for measuring an adult's

intellectual ability aged 16 years through 89 years.

- Measure human intelligence reflected in both verbal and performance abilities.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

- Is also administered as part of a test battery to make inferences about personality and pathology, both through the content of specific answers and patterns of subtest scores.

- It is also used in neuropsychological evaluation, specifically with regard to brain dysfunction.

Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale Intelligence Scale

- Intelligence measure for 4-6 yr olds in response to an increasing need for the assessment of preschoolers.

- It provides subtest and composite scores that represent intellectual functioning in verbal and performance cognitive domains.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

- Was originally made to be used for children ages 5 to 17.

- It is used to diagnose ADHD and learning disabilities.

- WISC can be used as part of an assessment battery to identify intellectual giftedness, learning difficulties, and cognitive strengths and weaknesses.

Wechsler Intelligence Scales: Limitations

- WAIS IV: It also has a reduced number of subtests for individuals with ages 70 to 90 years old.

- According to research, it has a limited range of scores for individuals who are extremely low and extremely high functioning.

Wechsler Intelligence Scales: Limitations

- The latest version of WAIS which is the WAIS IV fail to provide conversion tables for computing index scores and FSIQs when supplemental subtests are substituted for core subtests.

- It also failed to provide the psychometric basis for the requirement that an individual must obtain six raw scores of 1 in order for the FSIQ to be computed.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale: Limitations

- It has a limited criterion validity studies. The failure to provide information about the relationship of WAIS-IV and other tests of cognitive ability and achievement limits the understanding of WAIS-IV.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale: Limitations

• According to research, Wechsler’s tests were not based on theory rather on clinical and practical perspectives.

• Wechsler’s tests cannot be used as a single determinant of mental ability.

Question 11 & 12

11. Differentiate aptitude test from achievement test. Discuss their uses

in the fields such as education, industry, and clinical setting.

Aptitude test

• According to Miller, Mclntire, and Lovler (2012), aptitude tests assess a test taker’s potential for learning or ability to perform in a new job or situation. Aptitude tests measure the product of cumulative life experiences—or what one has acquired over time. They help determine what “maximum” can be expected from a person.

Achievement test

• Achievement test is defined as a psychological test that measures person’s previous learning in a specific academic area acquired knowledge or skill. It is designed to assess how much knowledge an individual has in a certain area (Miller, Mclntire, & Lovler, 2012).

Educational SettingAptitude test Achievement

designed to predict the student’s likelihood to pass or perform in school

designed to measure what a student has already learned. Pass or fail

tests uncover hidden talents and assess the strength and weakness of the students

used as a benchmark for either gifted or remedial programs.

excellent predictors of future scholastic achievements

also designed to determine the appropriate level for student who are either new to the system or need to be reassessed for one reason to another (Kramer, Bernstein, & Phares, 2009). used in measuring the IQ of the student.

Industrial SettingAptitude test Achievement test

tests assess the applicants’ potential or success in a certain job (Kramer, Bernstein, & Phares, 2009).

used as a tool to pick applicants who already possess the skills and knowledge needed to perform the job.

filter unsuitable applicants out the selection process.

Used to filter unsuitable applicants out the selection process

For placement in a certain company For placement in a certain company

predicts how well an individual will be able to perform at given a task

measure the competence of prospective employees

Clinical Setting

• Both achievement test and aptitude test-serves as a tool to diagnose mental and emotional conditions as an aid to determining appropriate treatments

Clinical Setting

• Both achievement and aptitude test – Serves as a tool to diagnose mental and emotional

conditions.– Serves as an aid to determining appropriate

treatments.– Serves as an indicator of the progress of the

treatment

12. Define psychopathology. Discuss how psychological test could help in their proper assessment.

Psychopathology

• Psychopathology refers to the study of mental disorder, mental distress, and abnormal/maladaptive behavior.

• As a descriptive term, according to Parritz and Troy (2011), psychopathology is defined as intense, frequent, and/or persistent maladaptive patterns of emotion, cognition, and behavior.

Psychological test

• Psychological test is an instrument used to measure personal attributes, traits, or characteristics or to predict an outcome (Miller, Mclinter, & Lovler, 2012).

Psychological test

Proper assessment leads to• Proper diagnosis of mental disorders• To determine whether medicines should be

prescribed• To formulate proper treatment/intervention

mental and emotional illnesses.• Help determine the progress of the patient

during the treatment• Supplement for the interview

Consequences of Improper Assessment

Wrong diagnosis that may lead to danger to the patient.• Wrong treatment may be given to the patient. • Wrong diagnosis may lead to the wrong

prescription of medication• Wrong diagnosis may lead to the worsening of

the current condition of the patient.

Questions 13,14, &15

What is MMPI?

• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was created by Starke Hathaway and J.C. McKinley at the University of Minnesota in the 1930s.

• The 567-item test is mainly used for assessment and diagnostic purposes.

• Can be considered as a test to identify one’s general personality structure but primarily designed to detect psychopathology

What is MMPI?

• Basically contains 10 clinical scales and four validity scales, but as research progressed, different measures were also formed, such as the supplementary scales, content scales, and Harris-Lingoes scales, while revisions for the test were also being done.

What is MMPI?

• Main advantages of the MMPI are its broad coverage and strong psychometric properties

• Presents many scales that can give information about the problem the client might be having

• Can also detect response styles that may question the validity of the profile or can give an idea about the client’s attitude

• High in validity and reliability

What is MMPI?

• Some disadvantages are the test is too time consuming

• May be hard for some clients who are unable to comprehend the questions

• Test fatigue may also be encountered because the test is long

• Open to many interpretations• Interpretation for individuals in other cultures

should be done with caution.

Comparing and contrasting Objective and Projective tests

• Structured objective tests are stronger in terms of psychometric properties due to a more straight-forward and empirically-based point system.

• Objective tests are also quicker, cheaper, and more beneficial for preliminary assessment.

• Projective tests are more flexible: are open-ended and gives the client his freedom to choose whatever he wants to do.

• Respondents in objective testing can easily lie or fake themselves to desirable answers

Nature and use of Objective and Projective tests

• Objective tests are presented in clear, specific, and structured stimuli like questions or statements

• The client responds with direct answers, choices, and ratings.

• The pattern of responses is then measured and interpreted to measure the strength or absence of a certain personality trait or state.

Nature and use of Objective and Projective tests

• Tests are usually paper-and-pencil or computer-administered that can be scored arithmetically.

• Some examples of objective tests are MMPI, CPI, 16PF, MBTI, and NEO-PI-R.

Nature and use of Objective and Projective tests

• Projective tests make clients respond to unstructured or ambiguous stimuli, such as inkblots, drawings, or incomplete sentences.

• The client’s judgments or outputs are the information then used to discover certain personality aspects.

• Some examples of projective tests are Rorschach, TAT, SSCT, RISB, and Bender-Gestalt.