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Block 2 Approaches to Assessment in Counselling

Unit 1 Interview, Case History And Testing

1) Discuss interview as tool of assessment.

The interview is a widely used assessment tool in psychology to gather information about a client and explore their behaviour in depth. It is a conversation with a purpose, unlike casual conversation. Counselors use the interview method to gather information about clients and to clarify the results of other assessments. It is a scientific technique that resembles tests in that it has reliability, validity, prediction and structure. Interviews can be structured, unstructured, or semi-structured, depending on the purpose. The interview also allows the counselor to understand how people view a subject.

2) Describe characteristics of interview method and give different types of interview in detail.

Characteristics of an interview:

• An interview has a clear purpose, unlike a casual conversation.
• It requires rapport and relationship establishment.
• Information is recorded in some form.
• The validity of an interview is assessed.
• There are defined roles for the interviewer and interviewee.
• The interviewer should be an expert and build a comfortable climate that encourages the client to share information.
• A proper atmosphere, both physical and emotional, is essential for the client to feel comfortable.
• The interviewer must show empathy for a better understanding of the client.
• Responses should be recorded.

Types of Interviews:

• Structured Interviews involve pre-planned, standardised questions asked in the same way and sequence to each interviewee. This type of interview uses objective questions and is considered more reliable and valid. Structured interviews are designed to provide a diagnosis for a client by detailed questioning of the client in a forced choice format.
• Unstructured Interviews allow the client to have more control over the topic and direction of the interview. These are better suited for general information gathering.
• Semi-structured Interviews combine elements of both structured and unstructured approaches. Certain questions are always asked, but there is freedom to add questions.
• Intake Interviews are used in the initial meeting between counselor and client to gather information about the client's problem. This includes the presenting problem, general life situation, history, and interpersonal functioning.

3) Discuss structured and unstructured interview with there advantages and disadvantages with suitable example.

• Structured Interview:

  • Advantages:
    • Information collected is easily organised and comparable.
    • More reliable and valid due to standardised questions and procedures.
    • Specific words that may cause problems can be avoided.
  • Disadvantages:
    • Relies exclusively on respondents.
    • May not allow for in-depth exploration of issues.
    • Limited flexibility.
  • Example: A clinical assessment questionnaire that follows the DSM IV classification system.

• Unstructured Interview:

• Advantages:
  • Allows for more flexibility and control by the client.
  • Better suited for general information gathering.
  • Can lead to a more natural and comfortable conversation with the client.
• Disadvantages:
  • Less reliable because questions can be different for each client.
  • Difficult to compare responses across clients.
  • Can be less efficient for obtaining specific information.
• Example: An open-ended conversation with a client, allowing them to talk about their life experiences and feelings.

4) Write a detailed note on case history taking in counseling. 

• Case history taking involves gathering in-depth information about a client's life. It is a type of structured interview used to obtain the details of the patient’s life.
• It's an important tool for diagnosis and therapy. A case history provides an understanding of the current status, as well as the background and etiological factors that contributed to the client’s current state. 
• Establishing rapport is an important part of case history taking. If the interviewer is a good listener, the client is more likely to give details. It also includes medical history as physical illnesses can impact mental health. 
• The client's interests, attitudes, and belief systems are also noted. A case history can include the client's interpersonal relationships, especially within the family. 
• The mental status examination (MSE) is a key part of case history taking, and includes observation and evaluation of the client at the time of the interview. The MSE helps the clinician reach a provisional diagnosis.

5) Illustrate the format of history taking in counseling process. 

A typical format for history taking in counseling includes:

• Standard identification data: Name, address, age, etc.
• Physical appearance, present symptoms, and behaviour, including verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Past and present problems.
• Medical history.
• Interest and attitudes.
• Family dynamics and interpersonal relationships.
• Mental Status Examination (MSE):
  • Appearance, speech, and thoughts.
  • Ability to attend and concentrate.
  • Assessment of thinking, including the presence of hallucinations or delusions.
  • Assessment of suicidal ideation.
  • Evaluation of behaviour, thoughts, speech, and perception.
• Psychological Examination:
  • Listing of tests that have been used for the assessment.
  • Summary of the interview that leads to a diagnosis.
• Diagnosis using a classification system.

6) What is meant by psychological test? Explain characteristics of good test. 

A psychological test is a measurement device used to quantify behaviour or aid in understanding and predicting behaviour. It is a standardised measure that is objective in nature. It measures a sample of behaviour and can be used for both quantitative and qualitative traits. A good psychological test is characterised by:

• Objectivity: Free from subjective factors in test construction, scoring, and interpretation.
• Standardisation: Uniform procedure for administration, scoring, and interpretation.
• Reliability: Consistency of test results.
• Validity: Measures what it claims to measure.
• Norms: Allows comparison of an individual's behaviour with a norm group.

7) Give definition and classification of psychological tests.

• Definition: A psychological test is an "objective and standardized measure of a sample of behaviour". It involves observing an individual performing prescribed tasks, often resulting in a numeric score.
• Classification of tests:
  • Individual vs. group tests: Individual tests are administered to one person at a time while group tests can be given to many at the same time.
  • Personality tests: These assess various aspects of personality using different methods such as pencil-paper tests, story telling tests, and ink blot tests.
  • Achievement tests: Measure what an individual has learned after some training.
• Aptitude tests: Assess an individual's potential to learn skills or perform tasks.
• Mental ability tests : Commonly called intelligence tests.

8) Discuss the different types of tests and their use.

• Achievement tests are used to assess an individual's knowledge or skills in a particular area after training. These can be formative (during learning) or summative (at the end of learning), and also prognostic or diagnostic.
• Aptitude tests help in predicting success in training or on a job. They can be used in selection for different courses or professions. Examples of aptitude tests include the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT), David's Battery of Differential Aptitude (DBDA), and General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB).
• Mental ability (intelligence) tests are used to assess cognitive abilities. They can be verbal, non-verbal, or performance-based and administered individually or in groups. They can be used for school placement or to identify learning disabilities.
• Personality tests evaluate thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and behavioural traits. They can be used to diagnose psychopathology or screen job candidates. These may consist of rating scales or self-report measures and free response measures or projective tests.
• Neuro-psychological tests: These measure a psychological function that is linked to a particular brain structure. They are used to assess impairment after injury or illness.

9) How does interview differ from conversation?

The key difference is that an interview has a clear purpose, while a conversation may not. In an interview, the roles of interviewer and interviewee are defined, and the interviewer directs the interaction. Conversations are more informal, and do not require any specific structure or purpose. Unlike a conversation, an interview requires rapport, recording of information, and the validity is assessed.

10) What is case history interview? How does this differ from intake interview? 

A case history interview is a structured interview with the goal of gathering detailed information about a client’s life. It is a more in-depth exploration of the client’s history. It includes background information and etiological factors, medical history, interests and attitudes, and family dynamics. An intake interview is the initial meeting between a client and counsellor to gather information about the presenting problem. It focuses on the client's immediate concerns and the reasons for seeking counselling. While both are interviews, a case history is more focused on getting the client's life details while an intake interview focuses on the presenting problem.

11) Why are tests necessary? 

Tests are necessary because they provide a standardised and objective way of measuring human behaviour and characteristics. Tests help in various areas such as:

• Assessing abilities, aptitudes, interests, and personality.
• Diagnosing problems.
• Predicting future performance or success.
• Making more effective decisions about and for individuals.
• Guiding career and education choices.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.

12) What purpose do the tests serve? 

Psychological tests serve multiple purposes in counseling and assessment, such as:

• Assessment of various mental abilities and attributes, such as achievement and ability, personality, and neurological functioning.
• School placement and identification of learning disabilities.
• Career counseling and vocational ability assessment.
• Diagnosis of psychopathology.
• Screening job candidates.
• Providing accurate and detailed information about a client's behaviour.
• Helping individuals gain self-understanding.
• Predicting success in training or job.
• Evaluating the effects of interventions.
• Research.