Psychological Assessment: procedure by which clinicians, using psychological tests,
observation, and interviews, develop a summary of the client’s symptoms and problems.
Clinical Diagnosis: the process through which a clinician arrives at a general “summary
classification” of the patient’s symptoms by following a clearly defined system such as DSM-5
or ICD-10.
Assessment is an ongoing process.
Presenting Problem: major symptoms and behavior the client is experiencing.
Cultural Competence (Multicultural Assessment): psychologist is to adapt and validate testing
procedures for culturally diverse clients.
Reliability: describes the degree to which an assessment measure produces the same result each
time it is use to evaluate the same thing.
Validity: the extent to which a measuring instrument actually measures what it is supposed to
measure.
Standardization: process by which a psychological test is administered, scored, and interpreted in
a consistent or “standard” manner.
Electroencephalogram (EEG): a graphical assessment of brain wave patterns in awake and
sleeping states.
