Assessment of Psychopathology
Expert-defined terms from the Certificate in Psychological Assessment and Testing course at London School of Planning and Management. Free to read, free to share, paired with a globally recognised certification pathway.
**ABPP (American Board of Professional Psychology)** #
A organization that grants specialty board certification in several areas of psychology, including clinical neuropsychology, cognitive and behavioral psychology, and forensic psychology.
**Actuarial Method** #
A method of predicting the likelihood of future events, such as violence or re-offense, based on statistical data and objective criteria. Contrasts with the clinical method, which relies on professional judgment and subjective information.
**Adjunctive Therapy** #
Therapy that is used in addition to the primary treatment modality, such as medication or psychotherapy. Examples include art therapy, music therapy, and biofeedback.
**Affective Disorders** #
Mental disorders characterized by significant disturbances in mood, including depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders.
**Agoraphobia** #
An anxiety disorder characterized by fear of being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack or other incapacitating or embarrassing symptoms.
**Algorithm** #
A set of rules or procedures for solving a problem or making a decision. In psychological assessment, algorithms are used in the interpretation of test data and the diagnosis of mental disorders.
**Alternative Form Reliability** #
A measure of the consistency of scores obtained from two different forms of the same test.
**American Psychological Association (APA)** #
A professional organization for psychologists in the United States. The APA publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
**Anxiety Disorders** #
Mental disorders characterized by excessive and persistent anxiety, fear, or worry. Examples include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
**Assessment** #
The process of gathering and interpreting information about an individual's psychological, cognitive, and behavioral functioning for the purpose of making a diagnosis, developing a treatment plan, or making decisions about educational or vocational placement.
**Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)** #
A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
**Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)** #
A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
**Avoidant Personality Disorder** #
A personality disorder characterized by a pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
**Behavioral Observations** #
The systematic observation and recording of an individual's behavior. Behavioral observations can provide valuable information about an individual's cognitive, emotional, and social functioning.
**Bipolar Disorder** #
A mood disorder characterized by episodes of mania or hypomania and depression.
**Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)** #
A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions.
**Clinical Interview** #
A structured or unstructured conversation between a clinician and a client for the purpose of gathering information about the client's psychological, cognitive, and behavioral functioning.
**Clinical Judgment** #
The use of professional expertise and experience to make decisions about diagnosis, treatment, or other clinical matters.
**Clinical Method** #
A method of predicting the likelihood of future events, such as violence or re-offense, based on professional judgment and subjective criteria. Contrasts with the actuarial method, which relies on statistical data and objective criteria.
**Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)** #
A type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing maladaptive thoughts and behaviors.
**Cognitive Disorders** #
Mental disorders characterized by significant impairments in cognitive functioning, such as memory, attention, language, or problem-solving.
**Confidentiality** #
The legal and ethical obligation of a clinician to protect the privacy of a client's personal and medical information.
**Consistency** #
The degree to which scores or measurements obtained from the same individual are similar across time, situations, or tests.
**Construct Validity** #
The degree to which a test measures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure.
**Content Validity** #
The degree to which a test covers the full range of content relevant to the construct it is intended to measure.
**Convergent Validity** #
The degree to which scores on one test are correlated with scores on another test that is intended to measure the same construct.
**Correlation** #
A statistical relationship between two variables, such that as one variable increases or decreases, the other variable tends to increase or decrease in a predictable way.
**Countertransference** #
The clinician's emotional reactions to a client, which may interfere with the clinician's ability to provide objective and effective treatment.
**Criterion #
Referenced Test**: A test that is designed to measure an individual's performance against a specific criterion or standard, rather than comparing the individual's performance to that of a norm group.
**Cutoff Score** #
A score that is used to distinguish between individuals who are likely to have a particular characteristic or disorder and those who are not.
**Data Interpretation** #
The process of making sense of test scores and other assessment data in order to make diagnostic or treatment decisions.
**Dependent Variable** #
The variable that is being measured or observed in a research study, and that is expected to be influenced by the independent variable.
**Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)** #
A classification system for mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association.
**Diagnostic Interview** #
A structured or semi-structured conversation between a clinician and a client for the purpose of making a diagnosis.
**Diagnostic Test** #
A test that is used to identify the presence or absence of a particular disorder or condition.
**Differential Diagnosis** #
The process of distinguishing between two or more disorders or conditions that have similar symptoms.
**Differential Reinforcement** #
A behavior modification technique in which reinforcement is provided for behaviors that are incompatible with undesirable behaviors.
**Discriminant Validity** #
The degree to which scores on one test are not correlated with scores on another test that is intended to measure a different construct.
**DSM #
5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition)**: The current edition of the DSM, published in 2013.
**Ecological Validity** #
The degree to which the results of a study or assessment are applicable to real-world situations.
**Educational Testing Service (ETS)** #
A nonprofit organization that develops and administers tests for educational and career purposes, including the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
**Emotional Intelligence** #
The ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's own emotions and the emotions of others.
**Empirically Supported Treatment** #
A treatment that has been shown to be effective through scientific research.
**Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct** #
A set of principles and guidelines for ethical conduct in psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.
**Evaluation** #
The process of assessing an individual's psychological, cognitive, and behavioral functioning for the purpose of making diagnostic, treatment, or other decisions.
**Experimental Design** #
A research design in which one or more independent variables are manipulated in order to observe their effect on a dependent variable.
**Experimental Group** #
A group of participants in a research study who are exposed to the experimental manipulation.
**External Validity** #
The degree to which the results of a study or assessment are generalizable to other populations or settings.
**Face Validity** #
The degree to which a test appears to measure what it is intended to measure, based on common sense or intuition.
**Factor Analysis** #
A statistical technique used to identify underlying patterns or dimensions in a set of data.
**False Negative** #
An error in which a test fails to detect the presence of a particular characteristic or disorder.
**False Positive** #
An error in which a test incorrectly identifies the presence of a particular characteristic or disorder.
**Family Therapy** #
A type of psychotherapy that involves the entire family system, rather than just the individual client.
**Feigning** #
The deliberate fabrication or exaggeration of symptoms for the purpose of avoiding a negative consequence or obtaining a positive reward.
**Fixed #
Ratio Schedule**: A reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is provided after a fixed number of responses.
**Fixed #
Interval Schedule**: A reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is provided after a fixed amount of time has elapsed since the last reinforcement.
**Flexibility** #
The ability to adapt to changing circumstances or demands.
**Forensic Psychology** #
The application of psychological principles