psych 242 Exam Questions with Correct Answers
What clinical interviewing skill allowed you to get the best/most information from your
client. Why did that one work better than another? Give an example from your interview.
open-ended questions (when you say you don't care about anything, what does that look like to
you?
reflection (restating a client's word more objectively - shows I was listening ex: it seems like
conversations with your mom often turn into arguments, tell me more about that.)
How did you decide that X presenting problem was the most concerning for your client?
presenting problems: poor emotional regulation skills and substance abuse for peer approval
Why: recurring problems that were getting in the way of her daily functioning and harming her
relationships
Why do you think 1st assessment will provide you with helpful information for your client?
Specifically, what kind of information will be gathered from that assessment and what kind
of insight will it provide for your clinical conceptualization? How does it go beyond what
you learned in the clinical interview?
1st assessment: FBA
why: helps determine triggers and consequences of events (the why behind her behavior)
Intervention for substance abuse: fba can help me find the trigger (feeling out of place at a
party/peer pressured) and the consequences of substance abuse (feeling more accepted)
specifics of the FBA
, direct FBA: video somnography (not indirect measures)
event-based FBA: monitor very specific antecedents and consequences of behavior (antecedents
to monitor: time with Jane, access to drugs)
Why do you think the 2nd assessment (that you proposed) will provide you with helpful
information for your client? Specifically, what kind of information will be gathered from
that assessment, and what kind of insight will it provide for your clinical
conceptualization? How does it go beyond what you learned in the clinical interview?
2nd assessment: Personality Inventory for Youth
What: ages 9-18 personality assessment
Why: looks specifically at emotional dysregulation, defiant patterns, social and family stress, and
coping mechanisms
Why do you think the 1st treatment is the best approach for addressing your client's
presenting problems? How did you choose it over Y treatment?
1st treatment: cognitive behavioral therapy
What: therapy that helps identify and change negative thought patterns that might contribute to
poor emotional regulation
Why: CBT would help her name her feelings, understand what triggers them, and build
emotional buffers to help her respond more calmly
Why do you think the 2nd treatment is the best approach for addressing your client's
presenting problems? How did you choose it over Y treatment?
2nd treatment: behavioral therapy - shaping reinforcement
what: reinforces successive approximations, or small steps, towards a target behavior
What clinical interviewing skill allowed you to get the best/most information from your
client. Why did that one work better than another? Give an example from your interview.
open-ended questions (when you say you don't care about anything, what does that look like to
you?
reflection (restating a client's word more objectively - shows I was listening ex: it seems like
conversations with your mom often turn into arguments, tell me more about that.)
How did you decide that X presenting problem was the most concerning for your client?
presenting problems: poor emotional regulation skills and substance abuse for peer approval
Why: recurring problems that were getting in the way of her daily functioning and harming her
relationships
Why do you think 1st assessment will provide you with helpful information for your client?
Specifically, what kind of information will be gathered from that assessment and what kind
of insight will it provide for your clinical conceptualization? How does it go beyond what
you learned in the clinical interview?
1st assessment: FBA
why: helps determine triggers and consequences of events (the why behind her behavior)
Intervention for substance abuse: fba can help me find the trigger (feeling out of place at a
party/peer pressured) and the consequences of substance abuse (feeling more accepted)
specifics of the FBA
, direct FBA: video somnography (not indirect measures)
event-based FBA: monitor very specific antecedents and consequences of behavior (antecedents
to monitor: time with Jane, access to drugs)
Why do you think the 2nd assessment (that you proposed) will provide you with helpful
information for your client? Specifically, what kind of information will be gathered from
that assessment, and what kind of insight will it provide for your clinical
conceptualization? How does it go beyond what you learned in the clinical interview?
2nd assessment: Personality Inventory for Youth
What: ages 9-18 personality assessment
Why: looks specifically at emotional dysregulation, defiant patterns, social and family stress, and
coping mechanisms
Why do you think the 1st treatment is the best approach for addressing your client's
presenting problems? How did you choose it over Y treatment?
1st treatment: cognitive behavioral therapy
What: therapy that helps identify and change negative thought patterns that might contribute to
poor emotional regulation
Why: CBT would help her name her feelings, understand what triggers them, and build
emotional buffers to help her respond more calmly
Why do you think the 2nd treatment is the best approach for addressing your client's
presenting problems? How did you choose it over Y treatment?
2nd treatment: behavioral therapy - shaping reinforcement
what: reinforces successive approximations, or small steps, towards a target behavior
