CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY SCIENCE PRACTICE
AND DIVERSITY ANDREW COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Foundation.
Answer: what is clinical psychology?
the gap bw science and practice
taking a scientific approach
-evaluating quality of research
-evaluating quality of evidence
◉ Assessment.
Answer: psychometrics
-what is required for clinical utility of our assessment methods?
critical evaluation of our most commonly used assessment methods
-uses and abuses of psychological tests
myths about clinical expertise
classification of psychopathology
-why DSM 5 is largely a failure
◉ Treatment (and prevention).
,Answer: major approaches to treatment
how well does psychotherapy work?
do all approaches to treatment work equally well? (dodo bird
verdict)
how can we help the most people given limited resources?
◉ What do most practitioners focus on most?
a. research
b. past experience
c. both.
Answer: past experience
◉ concerns raised by clinical psychologists who doubt the value of
science.
Answer: each individual is unique - therefore group based research
findings are of little value
clients have problems now - we can't wait for the research to tell us
how to treat them
clinical psychology as art rather than science
◉ The other ends of the spectrum: McFall's manifesto for a science
of clinical psychology.
,Answer: cardinal principle: scientific clinical psychology is the only
legitimate and acceptable from of clinical psychology
-psychological services should not be administered to the public
until they have met minimal scientific criteria
--unless they are administered in a research context
◉ why so much tension bw the two camps?.
Answer: that tension reflects the fact that each camp often views the
other in terms of a caricature
these caricatures are an outgrowth of years of debate over the best
way to train clinical psychologists
what was originally a join science practitioner model has
degenerated to the point where many clinical psych doctoral
students get little training to think and behave like scientists
-in the worst cases, they are taught to devalue science in favor of
clinical experience
this leaves us with two camps, each seeing the other as misguided
◉ A middle path.
Answer: each side of the debate has much to offer the other
that is why clinical psych adopted the SP model in the first place
but with the reframing of the science aspects of training as
irrelevant to most doctoral students since they plan to be
practitioners, the field has suffered
, ◉ Evidence based practice.
Answer: current approach emphasized by APA
clinicians are to base their practice on:
-empirical evidence
--both research findings and data gathered systematically on the
patient in question
-their own clinical experience
-client preferences
but should these sources be given equal weight?
◉ how can faulty reasoning and pseudoscience in clinical
psychology and related fields cause harm to individual clients?.
Answer: iatrogenic effects
opportunity cost
◉ iatrogenic effects.
Answer: direct harm: harm induced inadvertently through treatment
◉ why is training to think like a scientist so important?.
Answer: numerous statements are made by mental health
professionals and popular experts regarding the causes of
AND DIVERSITY ANDREW COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Foundation.
Answer: what is clinical psychology?
the gap bw science and practice
taking a scientific approach
-evaluating quality of research
-evaluating quality of evidence
◉ Assessment.
Answer: psychometrics
-what is required for clinical utility of our assessment methods?
critical evaluation of our most commonly used assessment methods
-uses and abuses of psychological tests
myths about clinical expertise
classification of psychopathology
-why DSM 5 is largely a failure
◉ Treatment (and prevention).
,Answer: major approaches to treatment
how well does psychotherapy work?
do all approaches to treatment work equally well? (dodo bird
verdict)
how can we help the most people given limited resources?
◉ What do most practitioners focus on most?
a. research
b. past experience
c. both.
Answer: past experience
◉ concerns raised by clinical psychologists who doubt the value of
science.
Answer: each individual is unique - therefore group based research
findings are of little value
clients have problems now - we can't wait for the research to tell us
how to treat them
clinical psychology as art rather than science
◉ The other ends of the spectrum: McFall's manifesto for a science
of clinical psychology.
,Answer: cardinal principle: scientific clinical psychology is the only
legitimate and acceptable from of clinical psychology
-psychological services should not be administered to the public
until they have met minimal scientific criteria
--unless they are administered in a research context
◉ why so much tension bw the two camps?.
Answer: that tension reflects the fact that each camp often views the
other in terms of a caricature
these caricatures are an outgrowth of years of debate over the best
way to train clinical psychologists
what was originally a join science practitioner model has
degenerated to the point where many clinical psych doctoral
students get little training to think and behave like scientists
-in the worst cases, they are taught to devalue science in favor of
clinical experience
this leaves us with two camps, each seeing the other as misguided
◉ A middle path.
Answer: each side of the debate has much to offer the other
that is why clinical psych adopted the SP model in the first place
but with the reframing of the science aspects of training as
irrelevant to most doctoral students since they plan to be
practitioners, the field has suffered
, ◉ Evidence based practice.
Answer: current approach emphasized by APA
clinicians are to base their practice on:
-empirical evidence
--both research findings and data gathered systematically on the
patient in question
-their own clinical experience
-client preferences
but should these sources be given equal weight?
◉ how can faulty reasoning and pseudoscience in clinical
psychology and related fields cause harm to individual clients?.
Answer: iatrogenic effects
opportunity cost
◉ iatrogenic effects.
Answer: direct harm: harm induced inadvertently through treatment
◉ why is training to think like a scientist so important?.
Answer: numerous statements are made by mental health
professionals and popular experts regarding the causes of
