ASPPB Assessment & Diagnosis of Psychological Disorders 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A clinician suspects a client has Borderline Personality Disorder. Which structured interview is most commonly used to assess DSM personality disorders?
- SCID-5-PD (Correct answer)
- PANSS
- HDRS
- BPRS
Correct answer: SCID-5-PD
The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders (SCID-5-PD) is the gold-standard instrument for diagnosing DSM-5 personality disorders.
Question 2: When assessing malingering, which test specifically includes validity scales designed to detect symptom exaggeration?
- MMPI-3 (Correct answer)
- NEO-PI-3
- CPI
- PAI only
Correct answer: MMPI-3
The MMPI-3 includes multiple validity scales (e.g., F, Fp, RBS) designed to detect overreporting, underreporting, and inconsistent responding.
Question 3: A 7-year-old scores 2 standard deviations below the mean on a standardized reading test. Which classification does this BEST represent?
- Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading (Correct answer)
- Intellectual Disability
- Language Disorder
- ADHD, predominantly inattentive presentation
Correct answer: Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading
A score 2 SDs below the mean on a reading measure, when not explained by intellectual disability, best fits Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading per DSM-5.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes incremental validity in psychological assessment?
- The degree to which a test adds predictive power beyond existing information (Correct answer)
- The consistency of a test across repeated administrations
- A test's ability to measure what it claims to measure
- The degree to which test scores generalize across populations
Correct answer: The degree to which a test adds predictive power beyond existing information
Incremental validity refers to the improvement in prediction accuracy that a measure provides over and above what is already known from other sources.
Question 5: On the WAIS-IV, a client scores significantly higher on Processing Speed than on Working Memory. What is the MOST important implication of this discrepancy?
- The Full Scale IQ may not be the most valid summary score (Correct answer)
- The client likely has a Neurocognitive Disorder
- The Processing Speed score should be discarded
- The test must be re-administered
Correct answer: The Full Scale IQ may not be the most valid summary score
Large discrepancies between index scores suggest the FSIQ may be an inadequate summary; clinicians should interpret individual index scores and consider the General Ability Index instead.
Question 6: According to DSM-5, which specifier is added to a Major Depressive Disorder diagnosis when full criteria are no longer met but at least two symptoms remain?
- In partial remission (Correct answer)
- In full remission
- Recurrent
- With anxious distress
Correct answer: In partial remission
DSM-5 specifies 'in partial remission' when some MDD symptoms persist but full criteria are no longer met, distinguishing it from full remission where no significant symptoms remain.
Question 7: Which projective technique requires respondents to tell stories about ambiguous pictures of people in various situations?
- Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (Correct answer)
- Rorschach Inkblot Method
- Draw-A-Person Test
- Sentence Completion Test
Correct answer: Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
The TAT uses ambiguous picture cards depicting interpersonal scenes, and respondents construct stories that are analyzed for themes related to needs, motives, and conflicts.
ASPPB Assessment & Diagnosis of Psychological Disorders 2
A clinician suspects a client has Borderline Personality Disorder.
Which structured interview is most commonly used to assess DSM personality disorders?