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section 1
Main Entry (Parts 1 – 3)
Part 1: Upon reviewing the changes from the DSM-IV-TR to the DSM-5 (article in your Learning Resources), identify one (or more, but at least one) change that stood out to you and share why it did. What was the rationale behind this change and what is your reaction to/perspective on that rationale? Do some digging on the web (a Google search is fine; preferably Google.com/scholar, but a reputable source from a general search is okay as well) and see if there are any others in the field who think the same way you do. Share that link with us and explain it a bit. In context of your response, what questions are you left with regarding the classification system clinical psychologists use to diagnosis mental health disorders?
Part 2: Summarize your take on the “base rate problem.” Your textbook authors say that clinical psychologists have the “ethical obligation to manage the problem of suicide competently.” This is true and qualitatively different than “preventing suicide.” Discuss the nuances of the difference and what it says to you about the roles and responsibilities of those who conduct psychological evaluations. Feel free to ask any remaining questions you have.
Part 3: Identify at least one assessment-related APA ethical standard (Section 9) and at least one multicultural issue you read about in your learning resources from this unit (one of these can be the use of AI in clinical diagnosis since it would bear on both ethics and the capability to be culturally competent) and:
- Briefly describe the issue/consideration and why it stood out to you as something you want to explore further.
- Give an example of how that issue would manifest in the clinician’s office.
- Offer some guidance on how one would approach that issue.
- Ask any remaining questions you have about it (if you don’t have any – that’s okay, you can just say “no questions”).
436/3
section 2
Main Entry (Parts 1-3)
Part 1: In addition to gathering information during a clinical interview, other – equally important – goals of this conversation include establishing rapport, quelling any anxieties the client has about being seen in a psychologist’s office, making behavioral observations that supplement the client’s spoken story, and answering client questions about the process.
Describe, in some specific detail, what you would expect from a clinician who does all the above. (Here, focus on your own reactions/thoughts without referencing your reading too much.)
What would active listening look like and how would that aid in establishing rapport?
What specifically would a clinician need to do to help set a calm stage (if you were a little nervous about seeing them)?
What questions would you hope they would answer and what kinds of answers would satisfy you?
Now compare your description above directly to what you learned in Chapter 2 (Jenkins) about the clinical interview process. Evaluate how your expectations align or don’t align with what clinical psychologists set out to do in the clinical interview.
In many ways, the clinical interview is also an intervention (therapeutic) in and of itself. While we need interview and assessment information to inform a specific treatment plan, the client can benefit psychologically and emotionally and start making progress toward their goals starting with the clinical interview. Describe your view on how the interview process can also be an intervention (how it begins the change process).
Part 2: We won’t do a formal report back exercise here but ask someone in your life what they think about “psych testing” (if they don’t know what that is or means, you can clarify by using words like “IQ test, personality profiles, self-report questionnaires about one’s mental health, tests of memory, etc.).
- Summarize what they said.
Compare their understanding to yours. Describe how what you now know firmly sets you as a “student of psychology” vs. a layperson.
What was your overall reaction to learning about psychological testing – what surprised you most to learn from your reading during this unit? Why did it surprise you?
Part 3: At the end of this unit, your first assignment is due. You are presenting your own fictional case and using that to apply all you have learned to this point (i.e., clinical training, clinical assessment, interviewing, testing, etc.). Discuss your progress on this project – your brainstorming, the questions you are thinking through, your research, etc. and solicit feedback from our group.
