Question 1

Which of the following is NOT true of specifiers?
A) They allow clinicians to provide additional information about their clients.
B) They describe a relatively homogeneous subgroup of individuals with the disorder.
C) They are always based on symptom presentation.
D) They may be necessary because of the prototypical approach to diagnosis.

Accepted Answer

While specifiers often describe symptom presentations, they are not always based solely on symptom presentation. For example, a specifier for a substance use disorder may be based on the severity of the substance use rather than specific symptoms.

Question 2

Validity is not a property of tests; rather,validity is a property of using a test for a specific purpose.

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to how accurately a test measures what it is intended to measure. However, validity is not an inherent property of the test itself. Rather, the validity of a particular test is determined by how well it measures the specific construct or trait it was designed to measure in a particular context or for a particular purpose. Thus, validity is a property of the way in which a test is used, not of the test itself.

Question 3

An IQ of 100 is considered normal and anything other than 100 is considered abnormal.

Accepted Answer

An IQ of 100 is considered average or typical, not necessarily normal. IQ scores can vary from person to person and there is no clear definition of what constitutes a "normal" IQ.

Question 4

Intelligence and achievement are two words for the same thing; intelligence refers to nonacademic domains and achievement refers to the scholastic domain.

Accepted Answer

Intelligence and achievement are not the same thing. Intelligence refers to a person's cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, reasoning, and creativity, while achievement refers to a person's performance in a specific area or domain, such as academic or professional success.

Question 5

If 95% of the children who score highly on an inventory of disruptive behavior turn out to have a diagnosable disruptive behavior problem,which of the following is NOT necessarily true?
A) There is a 5% false positive rate.
B) The test has low negative predictive power.
C) The test has high positive predictive power.
D) The test has good criterion-related validity.

Accepted Answer

If 95% of the children who score highly on the inventory have a diagnosable disruptive behavior problem, then the test has high positive predictive power (the ability to correctly identify those who have the disorder). A false positive rate of 5% means that 5% of the children who score highly on the test do not actually have the disorder, which is acceptable. However, the test's negative predictive power (the ability to correctly identify those who do not have the disorder) is not necessarily related to the given information. Criterion-related validity refers to the degree to which the test correlates with an external measure of the disorder, and cannot be determined from the information given.

Question 6

Not many experts consider diet to be relevant to a diagnosis of depression.If a depressive inventory asked multiple questions about fruits and vegetables and food additives,this would call into question which of the following?
A) test-retest reliability of the inventory
B) the content validity of the inventory
C) the inter-rater reliability of the inventory
D) the internal consistency of the inventory

Accepted Answer

The addition of questions about fruits and vegetables and food additives would question the content validity of the inventory, as it may suggest that diet is considered relevant to depression, which could affect the accuracy and usefulness of the inventory. Test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, and internal consistency would not necessarily be affected by the addition of these types of questions.

Question 7

To correct a criticism of DSM-IV,in DSM-5,disorders are no longer conceptualized as existing within the person,but instead between systems of people in transaction with one another.

Accepted Answer

In DSM-5, disorders are still conceptualized as existing within the person, not between systems of people. The major changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5 include the reorganization of disorders, the addition of new disorders, and the removal or modification of some categories, but the fundamental approach to conceptualizing disorders as individual conditions remains.

Question 8

To be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa,an individual must (a)be taking in so little food that the person is below the weight minimally normal,(b)have an "intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat,or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain,even though at a significantly low weight," and(c)have "disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced,undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation,or persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current low body weight." Which of the following is true of these criteria?
A) If someone fails to meet Criterion A, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a prototypical approach to classification.
B) If someone fails to meet Criterion A, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a categorical approach to classification.
C) If someone does not have an intense fear of gaining weight, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a prototypical approach to classification.
D) If someone does not have an intense fear of gaining weight, that person cannot be diagnosed with the disorder; this indicates a categorical approach to classification.

Accepted Answer

Criterion A is necessary for a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa and is therefore a categorical criterion. This means that if someone fails to meet Criterion A, they cannot be diagnosed with the disorder. Choice A suggests a prototypical approach to classification, which is not applicable in this context. Choice C incorrectly suggests that the diagnosis can only be made if the individual has an intense fear of gaining weight, which is not entirely true given that persistent behaviors that interfere with weight gain can also be indicative of the disorder. Choice D is similar to Choice C and is also incorrect.

Question 9

The developers of DSM-5 changed the order of the manual to emphasize the development of psychopathology across the life span,added diagnostic criteria that are specific to children and to adults,and described how disorders might present differently across the lifespan to solve what problem with DSM-IV?
A) It was unclear which disorders could be diagnosed in children in DSM-IV.
B) DSM-IV created a sometimes inaccurate perception of a boundary between disorders for children and adults.
C) DSM-IV neglected all mention of childhood disorders.
D) DSM-IV didn't recognize that adults could receive every diagnosis within it.

Accepted Answer

The change in the order of the manual and the addition of specific diagnostic criteria for children and adults were made to address the problem of DSM-IV creating a sometimes inaccurate perception of a boundary between disorders for children and adults.

Question 10

Helping caregivers is a benefit of appropriately diagnosing children with psychological disorders.

Accepted Answer

When children are appropriately diagnosed with psychological disorders, caregivers can receive education and support to better understand and care for their child's needs. This can lead to better outcomes for the child and improved caregiver well-being.

Question 11

When preparing the DSM-5,which of the following approaches was NOT used?
A) formal interviews with individuals currently diagnosed with the disorders in DSM-IV
B) literature reviews of research on each disorder
C) reanalysis of previously collected data to determine the potential effects of altering diagnostic criteria on prevalence rates
D) field trials

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 preparation involved literature reviews, reanalysis of previously collected data, and field trials, but not formal interviews with individuals currently diagnosed with the disorders in DSM-IV.

Question 12

A college professor in a childhood disorders class gives extra credit on the basis of who answers questions correctly on an 80s-music quiz at the start of the class.Which of the following is likely NOT true of this approach?
A) This approach has low content validity because 80s music is not relevant to childhood disorders.
B) This approach would likely have low convergent validity with exam scores in childhood disorders.
C) This approach would likely have low predictive validity of future exam scores in childhood disorders.
D) This approach would likely have low test-retest reliability because multiple students might give different answers to the same question.

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability concerns the consistency of a measure over time, not the variability of responses among different individuals. Choices A, B, and C correctly identify issues with the validity of using an 80s-music quiz in a childhood disorders class, but D incorrectly applies the concept of test-retest reliability to a situation of varied responses, which is not what test-retest reliability measures.

Question 13

Research Domain Criteria and the DSM-5 have the same general approach to conceptualizing mental disorders.

Accepted Answer

While both Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and the DSM-5 seek to classify mental disorders, they differ in their approach. The DSM-5 is based on a categorical approach, where disorders are classified based on the presence or absence of specific symptoms. RDoC, on the other hand, is based on a dimensional approach, where mental functions are broken down into specific components and studied in terms of their biological, genetic, and environmental influences. RDoC aims to identify underlying mechanisms and pathways that give rise to different types of psychopathology, while the DSM-5 focuses on symptom clusters to diagnose mental disorders.

Question 14

The main difference between concurrent validity and predictive validity is that ______.
A) only predictive validity is a type of criterion-related validity
B) only predictive validity examines the power to predict the existence of a disorder
C) only predictive validity refers to theoretically expected outcomes and not the present
D) only predictive validity really matters in a clinical setting

Accepted Answer

Predictive validity is specifically concerned with the ability of a measure to predict future or expected outcomes, behavior, or occurrences, which is not the focus of concurrent validity. Concurrent validity, on the other hand, assesses the degree to which a test correlates with a benchmark test or criterion measured at the same time.

Question 15

One criticism of the DSM-5 is that the distinctions between normal and abnormal are often arbitrary.

Accepted Answer

Many of the diagnostic criteria used in the DSM-5 are based on subjective judgments and social norms, which can vary across cultures and change over time. This can lead to arbitrary distinctions being made between what is considered normal and abnormal behavior or mental states.

Question 16

Behavioral observations are only necessary for assessing behavioral disturbances,not mood or cognitive problems.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral observations can be useful in assessing mood or cognitive problems as well, as they can provide information about a person's actions, reactions, and interactions with their environment. However, other assessment tools may be more appropriate for evaluating these types of issues.

Question 17

A psychologist is developing a new test of reasoning.He notices that while individuals tend to score the same across multiple administrations of the test,there are particular test items that seem to give everyone trouble,irrespective of how well they score on the test overall.It seems that all the items that give individuals trouble use particularly advanced vocabulary words.Which of the following is NOT true?
A) This test has low test-retest reliability.
B) The items on the test that everyone scores poorly on are not valid measures of the construct of reasoning.
C) The test does not have particularly strong internal consistency.
D) Removing the items that don't seem to contribute to the overall score would likely improve the test.

Accepted Answer

The fact that individuals tend to score the same across multiple administrations of the test suggests high test-retest reliability. The items on the test that everyone scores poorly on may still be valid measures of the construct of reasoning, as difficulty is expected in some items. The test may still have strong internal consistency even if some items are more difficult than others. Removing the items that don't contribute to the overall score may indeed improve the test. Therefore, the only statement that is not true is A, as low test-retest reliability is not expected based on the information provided.

Question 18

Symptoms are observable,overt features of disorder.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Symptoms are observable,overt features of disorder....

Question 19

Which classification approach allows a clinician to convey the severity of the condition?
A) full-spectrum assessment
B) categorical classification
C) prototypical classification
D) dimensional classification

Accepted Answer

Dimensional classification allows a clinician to convey the severity of the condition by providing a score or rating on a scale. This approach provides more flexibility and nuance in describing the level of impairment or symptoms experienced by an individual.

Question 20

If a test does not have high test-retest reliability,it cannot be valid.

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability and validity are two separate concepts. Test-retest reliability refers to the consistency of scores when a test is taken multiple times, while validity refers to whether a test actually measures what it is intended to measure. While it is ideal for a test to have both high test-retest reliability and validity, one does not necessarily guarantee the other. A test can be reliable but not valid, or valid but not reliable.

Quiz 3: Assessment and Diagnosis

Which of the following is NOT true of specifiers?

Validity is not a property of tests; rather,validity is a property of using a test for a specific purpose.

An IQ of 100 is considered normal and anything other than 100 is considered abnormal.

Intelligence and achievement are two words for the same thing; intelligence refers to nonacademic domains and achievement refers to the scholastic domain.

If 95% of the children who score highly on an inventory of disruptive behavior turn out to have a diagnosable disruptive behavior problem,which of the following is NOT necessarily true?

Not many experts consider diet to be relevant to a diagnosis of depression.If a depressive inventory asked multiple questions about fruits and vegetables and food additives,this would call into question which of the following?

To correct a criticism of DSM-IV,in DSM-5,disorders are no longer conceptualized as existing within the person,but instead between systems of people in transaction with one another.

Helping caregivers is a benefit of appropriately diagnosing children with psychological disorders.

When preparing the DSM-5,which of the following approaches was NOT used?

A college professor in a childhood disorders class gives extra credit on the basis of who answers questions correctly on an 80s-music quiz at the start of the class.Which of the following is likely NOT true of this approach?

Research Domain Criteria and the DSM-5 have the same general approach to conceptualizing mental disorders.

The main difference between concurrent validity and predictive validity is that ______.

One criticism of the DSM-5 is that the distinctions between normal and abnormal are often arbitrary.

Behavioral observations are only necessary for assessing behavioral disturbances,not mood or cognitive problems.

Symptoms are observable,overt features of disorder.

Which classification approach allows a clinician to convey the severity of the condition?

If a test does not have high test-retest reliability,it cannot be valid.