Ψlogical
Testing

Chapter 15
Computers & Ψ Science

🧹🧹 Tidying Up

Lectures:

  • next exam 4/15
    • Chapters 9–16
    • YOU will craft items
  • presentation groups start 4/17

Project:

  • send to EAs TONIGHT!!
  • 🥳🥳🥳

🔭🌠ASTEROID YR4 PANIC METER!!!🌌💥

Cognitive–Behavioral Assessment:

…how to treat disordered behavior

Rationale for Cognitive–Behavioral Assessment

  • the behaviors, thought processes, or physiological responses that define a disordered condition are the real problem
    • underlying cause itself not of primary concern with regard to the problem behavior, thought, or response
    • what are preceding and subsequent factors?






Note

treatment is focused on the problem behavior, etc – behavioral modification

CBA with Operant conditioning

  • situations are the primary determinants of behavior
  • attempts are made to either increase a behavioral deficit or decrease a behavioral excess via treatment intervention
  • baseline = focal behavior’s frequency, duration, or intensity prior to treatment
  • The self–report technique asks subject to record own behavior (thoughts, feelings, etc)

The Fear Survey Schedule

  • oldest and most researched cognitive–behavioral self–report procedure
  • different versions exist for different target populations (e.g., children, adolescents, parents)





Other self–report procedures

Dysfunctional Attitude Scale:

  • beliefs that could interact with a stressor to produce psychopathology

Irrational Beliefs Test (IBT):

  • 50 items indicate absence of irrationality, 50 indicate presence

Irrational Beliefs Inventory:

  • addresses criticisms of the IBT (tries to separate irrational beliefs from the negative consequences of those beliefs)

Psychophysiological procedures

heart rate 💓, blood pressure, galvanic skin response, skin temperature \(\leftarrow\) indicators of ???

FEAR, for example, is known to typically elicit physiological responses – can other constructs?

  • sometimes framed as more distal measures (as opposed to proximal)
    • …consequence of (rather than the construct itself)

Computers

Computer–assisted interviews:

  • respondents more willing to divulge sensitive or embarassing information

Computer–administered tests:1

  • currently norm

Computer scoring:

  • has “always” been done – speed of feedback delivery has changed

Note

Some modern procedures require computer administration (e.g., virtual reality, response latency)

Assessment groups:




Starting 4/17(??) (Thursdays):

Al Pacas🦙 Belugas🐳 Camels🐫 Dingos🦊 Elephants🐘
Vanessa A Mae F Sarah J Sarah M Hannah T
Sabina B Alaina G Thomas J Raelyn R William T
Nathan B Payton H Grace K Ellen R Jennifer T
Maritza B Elly J Grace L Rachel S Lila W

Project groups:

The current odds of YR4 hitting the moon in 2032 are ___________

  • 3.8%
  • 0.8%
  • 1.8%
  • 2.8%

A behavior’s frequency, duration, or intensity prior to treatment

  • baseline
  • stasis
  • equivalence
  • norm

The oldest and “most researched” cognitive–behavioral self–report measure is the _________

  • Fear Survey Schedule
  • Dysfunctional Attitude Scale
  • Irrational Beliefs Inventory
  • Irational Beliefs Test

Measures such as heart rate, blood pressure, and GSR can be labeled as __________ procedures

  • psychophysiological
  • psychophysical
  • neuropsychological
  • biopsychological

Item administrations that are uniquely tailored to the respondent’s ability level occur within __________

  • Computerized Adaptive Tests
  • Computer Administered Tests
  • Controlled Apperceptive Tests
  • Controversial Aggregation Tests

References

Akutagawa, D. (1956). A study in construct validity of the psychoanalytic concept of latent anxiety and a test of a projection distance hypothesis. University of Pittsburgh.