Chapter 1: Clinical Psychology: Definition and Training
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. The term clinical psychology was first used in print in the year ______.
A. 1780
B. 1894
C. 1907
D. 1952
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Original Definition
Difficulty Level: Medium
2. The first person to use the term clinical psychology in print was ______.
A. Lightner Witmer
B. Sigmund Freud
C. Carl Rogers
D. Richard McFall
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Original Definition
Difficulty Level: Easy
3. ______ was the first person to operate a psychological clinic.
A. Richard McFall
B. Abraham Maslow
C. Alfred Adler
D. Lightner Witmer
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Original Definition
Difficulty Level: Easy
4. Based on the discussion in the textbook, a good definition for clinical psychology should ______.
A. focus solely on the treatment of patients
B. include an emphasis on research and publication
C. contain reference to the science, theory, and practice of this broad field
D. exclude the behavioral components that contribute to psychological processes
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: More Recent Definitions
Difficulty Level: Medium
5. John is an undergraduate psychology major. He wishes to become a clinical psychologist. In order to reach this goal, John must ______.
A. earn a doctoral degree in clinical psychology
B. earn a master’s degree in clinical psychology
C. earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology
D. complete 300 clinical internship hours while an undergraduate student
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Education and Training in Clinical Psychology
Difficulty Level: Easy
6. Demonstrating that there are many paths to the profession of clinical psychology, more than half of APA-accredited doctoral programs offer ______.
A. focus groups
B. specialty training
C. part-time study
D. online internships
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Education and Training in Clinical Psychology
Difficulty Level: Easy
7. The Boulder model of training is also known as the ______ model of training.
A. practitioner-scholar
B. clinical scientist
C. clinical psychologist
D. scientist-practitioner
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Balancing Practice and Science: The Scientist-Practitioner (Boulder) Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
8. The scientist-practitioner model of training is characterized by a(n) ______.
A. joint emphasis on practice and research
B. emphasis on research over practice
C. emphasis on practice over research
D. combined emphasis on practice, research, and psychopharmacology
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Balancing Practice and Science: The Scientist-Practitioner (Boulder) Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
9. Currently, there are more clinical psychology graduate programs subscribing to the ______ model of training than any other model.
A. counselor educator
B. practitioner-scholar
C. scientist-practitioner
D. clinical scientist
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Balancing Practice and Science: The Scientist-Practitioner (Boulder) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
10. Lane is attending a clinical psychology graduate program that subscribes to the Boulder Model of training. Which of the following would Lane NOT experience in his program if it truly adheres to the Boulder Model?
A. training in psychotherapy and statistics
B. an approximately equal emphasis on research and clinical training
C. completing original research, such as a dissertation
D. minimization of clinical training with a heavy emphasis on research training
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Balancing Practice and Science: The Scientist-Practitioner (Boulder) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
11. Clinical psychology graduate programs that subscribe to the practitioner-scholar model of training ______.
A. typically award the PhD, rather than the PsyD, degree
B. emphasize practice over research
C. emphasize research over practice
D. equally emphasize research and practice
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
12. Diane has been accepted into a clinical psychology graduate program that adheres to the Vail Model of training. Upon graduation from the program, Diane is most likely to earn a ______ and work in a ______.
A. PsyD; clinical setting
B. PhD; clinical setting
C. PsyD; university psychology department
D. PhD; university psychology department
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
13. Which of the following is true?
A. The scientist-practitioner model of training emerged before the practitioner-scholar model of training.
B. The scientist-practitioner model of training and the practitioner-scholar model of training emerged at the same time.
C. The scientist-practitioner model of training emerged after the clinical scientist model of training.
D. The clinical scientist model of training and the practitioner-scholar model of training emerged at the same time.
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Education and Training in Clinical Psychology
Difficulty Level: Medium
14. Compared to PhD programs, PsyD programs typically ______.
A. accept a smaller percentage of applicants
B. offer significantly more funding to enrolled students in the form of graduate assistantships, fellowships, and tuition remission
C. produce graduates who score higher on the national licensing exam (EPPP)
D. have lower rates of success placing their students in APA-accredited predoctoral internships
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
15. Compared to PhD programs, PsyD programs ______.
A. typically place greater emphasis on research-related aspects of training
B. are more often housed in “professional schools” rather than departments of psychology in universities
C. prepare their graduates to work as researchers in academic settings
D. are more likely to require a research-based dissertation
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: the Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
16. Richard McFall is most closely associated with the development of the ______ model of training.
A. scientist-practitioner
B. clinical scientist
C. therapist-educator
D. practitioner-scholar
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Science: The Clinical Scientist Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
17. Michael’s career goal is to become a clinical psychologist who researches the treatment effectiveness of new psychotherapy interventions for bipolar I disorder. He envisions his work setting in academia or at a national research institute. When selecting clinical psychology graduate programs to which he will apply, Michael should focus on programs that adhere to the ______ model of training.
A. scientist-practitioner
B. practitioner-scholar
C. clinical scientist
D. learner-seeker
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Science: The Clinical Scientist Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
18. The ______ is an organization whose member graduate programs emphasis and promote scientific, research-based clinical psychology as the legitimate form of clinical psychology.
A. Academy of Psychological Clinical Science
B. American Academy of Psychology
C. American Psychological Association
D. Association for the Advancement of Clinical Psychology
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Science: The Clinical Scientist Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
19. The Insider’s Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology is ______.
A. a book authored by Richard McFall that details scientific standards for psychological research
B. a resource used by many graduate school applicants to learn about specific clinical psychology programs
C. an online portal for applying to clinical psychology graduate programs
D. an evaluation rubric used by graduate program admissions committees to evaluate applicants
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Science: The Clinical Scientist Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
20. A growing emphasis in clinical psychology graduate training is specific ______, or outcome-based skills that a student must be able to demonstrate in areas such as assessment, research, and ethics.
A. benchmarks
B. specialty tracks
C. competencies
D. training realms
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Science: The Clinical Scientist Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
21. Josephine is an undergraduate student wants to increase her odds of getting into a clinical psychology graduate program. Based on recommendations provided in the textbook, which of the following is the best advice you could provide to Josephine?
A. avoid undergraduate courses in statistics and research methodology. These classes often lower an applicant’s GPA
B. get to know your professors. Build a positive, professional relationship with them so they can write meaningful, persuasive letters of recommendation for you
C. limit yourself to one road to becoming a clinical psychologist. For example, once you have decided you want to earn a PhD from a scientist-practitioner program, do not consider other training options
D. do not seek out clinically relevant experience while an undergraduate. Graduate programs prefer to train “fresh” graduate students, not students who have already acquired some skills through part-time experiences
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Getting In: What Do Graduate Programs Prefer?
Difficulty Level: Medium
22. Carrie is writing a personal statement to include with her application to a clinical psychology graduate program. Which of the following should she NOT include in her personal statement?
A. discussion of her clinical psychology career aspirations
B. her research and clinical interests
C. more detailed discussion of clinical or research experiences listed on her vita
D. overly personal or revealing information, such as a mental health diagnosis
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Getting In: What Do Graduate Programs Prefer?
Difficulty Level: Easy
23. The ______ typically consists of a full year of supervised clinical experience in an applied setting and takes place before the doctoral degree is awarded.
A. postdoctoral internship
B. predoctoral internship
C. first year of graduate school in a PsyD program
D. first year of graduate school in a PhD program
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Internships: Predoc and Postdoc
Difficulty Level: Easy
24. A major difference between predoctoral and postdoctoral interns is ______.
A. predoctoral interns often have more responsibilities than postdoctoral interns
B. predoctoral interns have not yet earned their doctoral degree, while postdoctoral interns have
C. predoctoral interns practice under supervision, while postdoctoral interns practice independently
D. predoctoral interns work in psychiatric hospitals, while postdoctoral interns work in university counseling centers
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Internships: Predoc and Postdoc
Difficulty Level: Medium
25. To maximize the likelihood of obtaining a predoctoral internship, students interested in pursuing graduate training in clinical psychology should ______.
A. restrict the number of internship sites to which they apply as a way to save money
B. apply to internships in only one or two states
C. pursue graduate clinical psychology training from a PhD, rather than a PsyD, program
D. apply to internships that are located in the same state as their graduate program
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Internships: Predoc and Postdoc
Difficulty Level: Hard
26. ______ authorizes a psychologist to practice independently.
A. Successful completion of the predoctoral internship
B. Successful completion of the postdoctoral internship
C. Successful completion of all graduate courses in an APA-accredited graduate program
D. Licensure
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Getting Licensed
Difficulty Level: Easy
27. Typically, clinical psychologists must pass the ______ in order to become licensed.
A. Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)
B. Continuing Education Units Psychology Examination (CEUPE)
C. Examination for Psychological Practice with Independent Persons (EPPP)
D. Counselor Education Unity Psychology Examination (CEUPE)
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Getting Licensed
Difficulty Level: Easy
28. Once a clinical psychologist is licensed, many states require the accumulation of a specific number of ______ in order to renew the license.
A. postgraduate courses
B. continuing education units
C. seminar certificates
D. state board phone conferences
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Getting Licensed
Difficulty Level: Easy
29. The most common work setting for clinical psychologists since the 1980s is ______.
A. private practice
B. medical schools
C. psychiatric hospitals
D. university psychology departments
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Where Do Clinical Psychologists Work?
Difficulty Level: Easy
30. The second most common work setting for clinical psychologists since the 1980s is ______.
A. private practice
B. medical schools
C. psychiatric hospitals
D. university psychology departments
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Where Do Clinical Psychologists Work?
Difficulty Level: Medium
31. The most common professional activity of clinical psychologists since at least the 1970s is ______.
A. diagnosis/assessment
B. research/writing
C. psychotherapy
D. teaching
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: What Do Clinical Psychologists Do?
Difficulty Level: Easy
32. Compared to clinical psychologists, professional counselors ______.
A. earn a master’s degree rather than a doctoral degree
B. place a higher emphasis on psychological testing
C. are more likely to conduct extensive research in their training programs
D. often specialized in career, school, or addiction counseling
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Professional Counselors
Difficulty Level: Easy
33. Compared to clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists tend to ______.
A. work with clients whose degree of psychopathology is greater
B. work in settings such as inpatient psychiatric units
C. work in settings such as college counseling centers
D. work in settings such as hospitals
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Counseling Psychologists
Difficulty Level: Easy
34. Psychiatrists ______.
A. tend to emphasize biological aspects of clinical problems to a greater extent than clinical psychologists
B. earn the same degree and receive the same license as clinical psychologists
C. are most likely to use psychotherapy and other “talking cures” to treat patients
D. can prescribe medication in all 50 states, while clinical psychologists cannot prescribe in most states
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Psychiatrists
Difficulty Level: Easy
35. Social workers ______.
A. typically earn a doctoral degree
B. undergo training that places heavy emphasis on research methods and psychological testing
C. emphasize the biological causes of mental illness
D. focus on the interaction between an individual and components of society
Ans: D
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Social Workers
Difficulty Level: Easy
36. School psychologists ______.
A. are not qualified to conduct psychological testing
B. work with children in schools and the adults involved in students’ lives
C. attend medical school and specialize in school psychology
D. are not allowed to provide counseling to their clients
Ans: B
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: School Psychologists
Difficulty Level: Easy
37. Between 1988 and 2001, the number of PsyD degrees awarded ______.
A. more than doubled
B. remained constant
C. declined by 10%
D. increased by 10%
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
38. The website of one doctoral training program includes the following statement: “The Clinical Psychology area is dedicated to research and training in clinical science . . . The main training objective . . . is to cultivate the development of scholars through exposure to a rich and multidisciplinary array of research opportunities.” This program adheres to the ______ model of training.
A. scientist-practitioner
B. practitioner-scholar
C. clinical scientist
D. counseling psychology
Ans: C
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Science: The Clinical Scientist Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
39. Students enrolled in a practitioner-scholar program typically earn what degree?
A. PsyD
B. PhD
C. MD
D. MS
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
40. Compared to PhD programs, PsyD programs tend to ______.
A. place less emphasis on research-related aspects of training and more emphasis on clinically relevant aspects of training
B. accept and enroll a much smaller percentage and number of applicants
C. offer significantly more funding to enrolled students
D. graduate students in a longer time period (about 1.5 years longer)
Ans: A
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
Short Answer
1. List three areas of required coursework that are a part of doctoral graduate training in clinical psychology.
Ans: Psychotherapy, assessment, statistics, research design and methodology, biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective bases of behavior, social bases of behavior, and individual differences.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Education and Training in Clinical Psychology
Difficulty Level: Easy
2. List three primary differences between PhD and PsyD programs.
Ans: Compared with PhD programs, PsyD programs tend to deemphasize research, emphasize practice, accept a greater percentage and larger number of students, be housed in professional schools rather than university psychology departments, and offer less funding to students. See Box 1.1 in the text for a complete list.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Education and Training in Clinical Psychology
Difficulty Level: Medium
3. What is the most common setting in which clinical psychologists work?
Ans: private practice
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Professional Activities and Employment Settings
Difficulty Level: Easy
4. What is the most common professional activity of clinical psychologists?
Ans: psychotherapy
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Professional Activities and Employment Settings
Difficulty Level: Easy
5. After completing a predoctoral internship and receiving the PhD or PsyD, what additional steps are generally required to obtain licensure to practice independently?
Ans: Complete a postdoctoral internship (postdoc) and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and a state-specific exam on laws and ethics.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Getting Licensed
Difficulty Level: Medium
6. A student applying for clinical psychology graduate programs would likely select a program adhering to the ______ model of training if he or she wished to primarily engage in research and teach in a university upon graduation.
Ans: clinical scientist
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Science: The Clinical Scientist Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
7. The scientist-practitioner model of graduate training is also known as the ______ model.
Ans: Boulder
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Balancing Practice and Science: The Scientist-Practitioner (Boulder) Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
8. The practitioner-scholar model of graduate training is also known as the ______ model.
Ans: Vail
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Easy
9. A student applying for clinical psychology graduate programs would likely select a program adhering to the ______ model of training if he or she wished to primarily engage in clinical work, like psychotherapy and assessment, upon graduation.
Ans: practitioner-scholar (Vail)
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Leaning Toward Practice: The Practitioner-Scholar (Vail) Model
Difficulty Level: Medium
Essay
1. Name and briefly describe the differences between each of the three models of training currently in use by graduate programs in clinical psychology.
Ans: The scientist-practitioner model balances research and clinical practice. The practitioner-scholar model primarily emphasizes clinical practice. The clinical scientist model primarily emphasizes research.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Education and Training in Clinical Psychology
Difficulty Level: Medium
2. Describe at least three steps that you would take to improve the strength of your application to a graduate program in clinical psychology. (Hint: Consider recommendations outlined in the text and provided by references such as Graduate Study in Psychology and Getting In: A Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology.)
Ans: (a) Know your professional options: Explore the different paths to obtaining the title of clinical psychology, and examine similar careers. (b) Take, and earn high grades in, the appropriate undergraduate courses. (c) Get to know your professors: Building a solid reputation will allow professors to write more meaningful letters of recommendation. (d) Get research experience. (e) Get clinically relevant experience: Find a volunteer or paid position that includes exposure to clinical populations. (f) Maximize your GRE score. (g) Select graduate programs wisely: Identify the program’s training model and the faculty’s therapeutic orientations, and compare them to your goals for training. (h) Write effective personal statements. (i) Prepare well for admissions interviews: Research the school and professors prior to the interview. (j) Consider your long-term goals: Do you see yourself as a clinical or researcher? How much financial debt are you willing to incur?
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Getting In: What Do Graduate Programs Prefer?
Difficulty Level: Hard
3. How do clinical psychologists differ from counseling psychologists?
Ans: Compared to counseling psychologists, clinical psychologists tend to work with more severely disturbed pathological clients and to work in settings such as inpatient psychiatric units; counseling psychologists tend to work with less seriously disturbed populations in setting such as college counseling centers. Counseling psychologists tend to be more interested in vocational testing and career counseling, whereas clinical psychologists tend to be more interested in the application of psychology to medical settings.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: How Are Clinical Psychologists Different From . . .
Difficulty Level: Medium
4. How do clinical psychologists differ from psychiatrists?
Ans: Unlike clinical psychologists, psychiatrists attend medical school and are licensed as physicians. All psychiatrists, as physicians, are able to prescribe medication, and they often use medication in the treatment of their patients. Until recently, clinical psychologists could not prescribe medication. However, in several states, clinical psychologists have successfully lobbied and received prescription privileges. Psychiatrists view mental disorders as primarily biological, physiological abnormalities of the brain. While clinical psychologists certainly appreciate the biological aspects of mental illness, they also consider behavioral, cognitive, and emotional factors.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: How Are Clinical Psychologists Different From . . .
Difficulty Level: Medium
