PSY 266, Abnormal Psychology
CHAPTER 3, ASSESSMENT FOR
PSYCHODIAGNOSIS
ASSESSING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR
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“…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
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The process:
Observe
Interview
Neurological
tests
Psych. Tests and inventories
Which must be….
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All of these “Assessments” must be…
• Reliable – measures same way each time
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Valid – does it measure what it CLAIMS to
measure?
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Test-rest reliability (same person twice)
Internal consistency (split-half )
Interrater reliability (different raters – same score?)
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 )
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 Questions
 Observations
 Tasks
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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
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Sentence completion: My mother
always ________.
Draw a person:
•Self-report inventories:
-- MMPI
•Beck Depression Inventory
•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.
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PSYCH EVAL
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Five Axes from the DSM-IV
Also look for Co-morbidity -more
than one Axis I, II, III disorders
Severity of the disorder
Remission
Problems
Labels people
Could lead to incorrect treatment
Self-fulfilling prophecy (if patient doesn’t have)
ignores how well a person functions
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Psychological Evaluation