LSP Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield LSP facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A logic model for a prevention program maps inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. The 'outputs' component refers to: → Immediate products of program activities such as sessions delivered
2. A psychologist consulting with a pediatric medical team primarily serves as a liaison between the family and the medical staff. This role is best described as: → Triadic-dependent consultant
3. Which of the following best describes a key competency required for health psychology & behavioral medicine in LSP practice? → Strong analytical skills combined with effective communication and ethical judgment
4. A school district evaluates a bullying prevention program using pre- and post-surveys but has no control group. The greatest limitation of this design is: → Inability to rule out alternative explanations for change
5. Which of the following best describes a key competency required for forensic psychology & legal issues in LSP practice? → Strong analytical skills combined with effective communication and ethical judgment
6. Which term describes the phenomenon where crisis workers gradually develop secondary trauma symptoms from repeated exposure to clients' traumatic material? → Compassion fatigue
7. What is the role of a control group in an experiment? → To act as a baseline for comparison.
8. Which psychophysiological mechanism best explains why chronic work stress increases cardiovascular disease risk? → Repeated HPA axis activation elevates cortisol, promoting inflammation and arterial damage
9. Which model explains how social support buffers the effects of stress on health, specifically proposing that support reduces the perceived threat of stressors? → Stress-buffering hypothesis
10. Which legal standard is typically invoked to hospitalize an unwilling adult client who poses an imminent danger to others? → Police power doctrine
11. Which psychological factor has the strongest evidence as a predictor of poor post-surgical recovery outcomes? → Preoperative depression and anxiety
12. Which test is widely used to assess personality? → MMPI
13. Which medication received FDA approval for treatment-resistant depression and works through NMDA glutamate receptor antagonism? → Esketamine (Spravato)
14. A psychologist working with undocumented immigrant clients must balance confidentiality with legal reporting obligations. The MOST important first step is to: → Inform the client at intake of all legal limits of confidentiality
15. What is the psychologist’s duty when encountering unethical behavior? → Report or address
16. Which of the following scenarios most clearly constitutes a boundary violation rather than a boundary crossing? → Providing a client's contact information to another professional without consent
17. A client presents to an emergency psychiatric unit after a suicide attempt by overdose. Before beginning a psychosocial assessment, the clinician should FIRST: → Confirm medical clearance from the treating physician
18. Which attachment pattern is most associated with a caregiver who is unpredictable — sometimes warm, sometimes frightening? → Disorganized
19. According to the APA Ethics Code, a psychologist may include a deception element in a research study only if: → The study has significant scientific value and cannot be conducted without the deception
20. A psychologist administers the MMPI-2 and finds a client's K scale is significantly elevated. What does this suggest? → The client may be defensively denying psychological difficulties
21. Which of the following assessment instruments is specifically designed to diagnose autism spectrum disorder through direct behavioral observation? → ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule)
22. What is norm-referenced testing? → Comparison to norms
23. In the context of LSP certification, what is the most important consideration when implementing multicultural & diversity competence? → Ensuring alignment with established standards, stakeholder needs, and best practices
24. Which supervision model emphasizes the supervisee's developmental stage and adjusts the supervisor's style from directive to consultative as competence grows? → Integrated Developmental Model (IDM)
25. A client calls a crisis hotline stating they have a loaded gun and plan to use it tonight. Which action should the crisis counselor prioritize FIRST? → Ask the client to remove themselves from access to the firearm
26. In the context of LSP certification, what is the most important consideration when implementing supervision & professional development? → Ensuring alignment with established standards, stakeholder needs, and best practices
27. Which legal standard specifically requires that an expert's methodology be testable, peer-reviewed, have a known error rate, and be generally accepted? → Daubert standard
28. Formative evaluation in supervision is BEST described as: → Ongoing feedback provided throughout supervision to guide skill development
29. In the context of LSP certification, what is the most important consideration when implementing crisis intervention & emergency services? → Ensuring alignment with established standards, stakeholder needs, and best practices
30. Diana Baumrind's research on parenting styles originally identified three styles. Which style did Maccoby and Martin later add? → Uninvolved (Neglectful)