SPEX SPEX Exam 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which attachment style in adulthood is most commonly associated with a history of disorganized attachment in childhood?
- Fearful-avoidant (disorganized) (Correct answer)
- Dismissive-avoidant
- Preoccupied (anxious-ambivalent)
- Secure
Correct answer: Fearful-avoidant (disorganized)
Fearful-avoidant attachment in adults, characterized by both desire for closeness and fear of it, is the adult analog most linked to disorganized attachment patterns from childhood.
Question 2: A psychologist is asked to provide testimony as an expert witness. Which of the following best describes the standard introduced by Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993)?
- Scientific testimony must be based on methodology that has been tested, peer-reviewed, and is generally accepted (Correct answer)
- Expert testimony must only rely on clinical experience and training
- Judges must accept any testimony from a licensed professional
- Expert opinions based on case studies are inadmissible
Correct answer: Scientific testimony must be based on methodology that has been tested, peer-reviewed, and is generally accepted
Daubert established that federal judges serve as gatekeepers and must assess whether scientific testimony is based on reliable methodology including testing, peer review, known error rates, and general scientific acceptance.
Question 3: Which statistical index is most appropriate for evaluating the clinical significance of treatment change in an individual client?
- Reliable Change Index (RCI) (Correct answer)
- Cohen's d
- Pearson correlation coefficient
- Odds ratio
Correct answer: Reliable Change Index (RCI)
The Reliable Change Index (RCI) determines whether the magnitude of change in a client's score exceeds what would be expected by measurement error alone, making it ideal for assessing individual clinical significance.
Question 4: A client with borderline personality disorder frequently calls the psychologist after hours in crisis. The most appropriate initial response is to:
- Collaboratively develop a crisis plan within sessions to guide after-hours contact (Correct answer)
- Give the client a personal cell number and encourage calls whenever needed
- Refuse all after-hours contact and direct the client to call 911
- Increase session frequency without addressing the pattern
Correct answer: Collaboratively develop a crisis plan within sessions to guide after-hours contact
Establishing a structured, collaborative crisis plan within therapy sessions is consistent with DBT and other evidence-based approaches, setting limits while ensuring safety.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a Type II error in research?
- Failing to detect a true effect that exists in the population (Correct answer)
- Concluding an effect exists when it does not
- Overfitting a regression model to sample data
- Reporting a statistically significant result with a small sample
Correct answer: Failing to detect a true effect that exists in the population
A Type II error (false negative) occurs when a researcher fails to reject a null hypothesis that is actually false, meaning a real effect goes undetected.
Question 6: According to APA ethical guidelines, informed consent for psychological services must include which of the following elements?
- Nature and course of treatment, risks and benefits, and alternatives to treatment (Correct answer)
- A guarantee of successful treatment outcomes
- The psychologist's theoretical orientation only
- The psychologist's fees but not the limits of confidentiality
Correct answer: Nature and course of treatment, risks and benefits, and alternatives to treatment
APA's Ethics Code requires informed consent to include information about the nature of services, anticipated course, risks and benefits, and available alternatives to treatment.
Question 7: A psychologist conducting a child custody evaluation is asked by the father's attorney to release only the sections of the report favorable to the father. The psychologist should:
- Release only the complete report and decline to provide selective excerpts (Correct answer)
- Comply since the attorney has legal authority to request records
- Release favorable sections with a disclaimer noting the selection
- Consult with the mother's attorney before making a decision
Correct answer: Release only the complete report and decline to provide selective excerpts
Releasing selective, favorable excerpts would misrepresent findings and could harm the child; psychologists must provide complete, accurate reports to preserve objectivity and integrity.
SPEX SPEX Exam 3
Which attachment style in adulthood is most commonly associated with a history of disorganized attachment in childhood?