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ABPP Clinical Child & Adolescent study materials
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ABPP Clinical Child & Adolescent practice questions

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Question 1Developmental psychopathology and normative development

According to Piaget, at approximately what age does object permanence typically emerge?

  1. 2 to 4 months
  2. 18 to 24 months
  3. 8 to 12 months Correct answer.
  4. 3 to 4 years

Explanation

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. In Piaget's sensorimotor stage, it typically emerges between about 8 and 12 months as infants begin to search for hidden objects. Younger infants generally do not search, and more complex search errors appear later in the stage.

Question 2Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A 2-year-old insists on putting on shoes without help and becomes distressed when assisted. Which Erikson stage does this illustrate?

  1. Industry vs. inferiority
  2. Trust vs. mistrust
  3. Initiative vs. guilt
  4. Autonomy vs. shame Correct answer.

Explanation

Erikson's second stage, autonomy versus shame and doubt, occurs in toddlerhood as children assert independence in self-care. Overcontrol or ridicule can foster shame and doubt. Trust versus mistrust belongs to infancy, initiative versus guilt to preschool years, and industry versus inferiority to school age.

Question 3Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Around what age do most children say their first meaningful word?

  1. 24 months
  2. 12 months Correct answer.
  3. 4 months
  4. 7 months

Explanation

Most children produce their first meaningful word at about 12 months, with normal variation from roughly 10 to 15 months. Before this, infants engage in cooing and babbling. By about 24 months, most children are combining words rather than just beginning single words.

Question 4Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which of the following is one of Thomas and Chess's three temperament constellations?

  1. Active, passive, mixed Correct answer.
  2. Secure, anxious, avoidant
  3. Inhibited, exuberant, average
  4. Easy, slow-to-warm-up, difficult

Explanation

Thomas and Chess described three broad temperament constellations: easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up. These classifications are based on regularity, adaptability, intensity, and mood. Secure, anxious, and avoidant are attachment classifications rather than temperament constellations.

Question 5Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Nocturnal enuresis is typically diagnosed only after a child has reached at least what chronological age?

  1. 7 years
  2. 10 years
  3. 5 years Correct answer.
  4. 3 years

Explanation

DSM-5-TR requires a chronological age of at least 5 years for the diagnosis of enuresis, along with repeated voiding into bed or clothes. The threshold reflects the typical developmental acquisition of bladder control. Diagnosing before age 5 risks pathologizing normal variation.

Question 6Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A change in a parent's workplace policy that increases the parent's available time with a child is best located in which Bronfenbrenner system?

  1. Mesosystem
  2. Microsystem
  3. Macrosystem
  4. Exosystem Correct answer.

Explanation

The exosystem includes settings in which the child does not participate directly but that affect the child through their impact on caregivers, such as workplace policies. The microsystem involves the child's direct settings, the macrosystem involves cultural values, and the mesosystem involves interactions among microsystems.

Question 7Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A 12-month-old looks at her mother's fearful expression before approaching a novel toy. This behavior is best described as:

  1. Emotional regulation
  2. Joint attention
  3. Symbolic play
  4. Social referencing Correct answer.

Explanation

Social referencing is the use of another person's emotional expression to guide behavior in ambiguous situations. It typically emerges around 10 to 12 months and helps infants evaluate novel or uncertain events. Joint attention involves shared focus on an object, while emotional regulation involves managing one's own emotional state.

Question 8Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Simple pretend play typically first emerges around what age?

  1. 6 months
  2. 15 months Correct answer.
  3. 9 months
  4. 30 months

Explanation

Simple pretend play usually emerges between about 12 and 18 months, with 15 months falling in the expected window. Early pretend acts are often brief and directed toward the self before extending to dolls or others. By 30 months, pretend play is typically more elaborate and sequenced.

Question 9Developmental psychopathology and normative development

In Ainsworth's Strange Situation, a toddler who shows little distress when the mother leaves and avoids her on return is classified as:

  1. Secure
  2. Resistant
  3. Disorganized
  4. Avoidant Correct answer.

Explanation

The avoidant pattern is marked by minimal distress at separation and avoidance or ignoring of the caregiver at reunion. Secure infants use the caregiver as a safe base and greet her on return. Resistant infants show ambivalence and clinginess, while disorganized infants show contradictory or freezing behavior.

Question 10Developmental psychopathology and normative development

DSM-5-TR requires that several symptoms of ADHD be present before what age?

  1. 16 years
  2. 12 years Correct answer.
  3. 5 years
  4. 7 years

Explanation

DSM-5-TR requires several ADHD symptoms to be present before age 12, a change from the earlier DSM-IV threshold of age 7. Symptoms must also be present in more than one setting and cause impairment. The later threshold better captures adolescents and adults who are diagnosed retrospectively.

Question 11Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which feature is most characteristic of autism spectrum disorder in a 3-year-old?

  1. Delayed gross motor milestones
  2. Expressive language regression after 5 years
  3. Auditory hallucinations
  4. Impaired social communication and restricted interests Correct answer.

Explanation

Autism spectrum disorder is defined by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction plus restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. These features are typically evident in early childhood. Gross motor delay is not a core diagnostic feature, and hallucinations are not characteristic of ASD in young children.

Question 12Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which feature most distinguishes separation anxiety disorder from developmentally normal separation distress?

  1. Asking about parents at school
  2. Impairment lasting at least 4 weeks Correct answer.
  3. Crying at daycare drop-off
  4. Worry during a sleepover

Explanation

Separation anxiety disorder requires developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety about separation that persists for at least 4 weeks in children and causes clinically significant impairment. Normal separation distress is brief, context-bound, and does not persistently impair functioning. Crying at drop-off or asking about parents can be developmentally expected.

Question 13Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A child who passes the false-belief task has typically developed which capacity?

  1. Understanding object permanence
  2. Understanding that others can hold false beliefs Correct answer.
  3. Understanding that people have different food preferences
  4. Understanding conservation of liquid volume

Explanation

Passing a false-belief task around age 4 indicates that a child understands that another person can hold a belief that differs from reality. This is a hallmark of theory of mind development. Conservation belongs to Piaget's concrete operational stage, object permanence to infancy, and food preferences to simpler desire-based reasoning.

Question 14Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A child who follows rules primarily to avoid punishment is at which of Kohlberg's levels?

  1. Preconventional Correct answer.
  2. Postconventional
  3. Conventional
  4. Universal ethical

Explanation

Kohlberg's preconventional level includes punishment-and-obedience orientation and instrumental exchange. Conventional reasoning focuses on social approval, law, and duty, while postconventional reasoning involves abstract principles and social contracts. Avoiding punishment is a classic preconventional justification.

Question 15Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which behavior is more characteristic of conduct disorder than oppositional defiant disorder?

  1. Deliberately annoying others
  2. Losing temper
  3. Aggression toward peers Correct answer.
  4. Arguing with adults

Explanation

Conduct disorder includes aggression toward people or animals, property destruction, deceitfulness or theft, and serious rule violations. Oppositional defiant disorder is characterized by angry or irritable mood, argumentativeness, and defiance without the more severe antisocial behaviors. Physical aggression toward peers therefore points more toward conduct disorder.

Question 16Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which presentation is common in adolescent depression but less frequent in younger children?

  1. Somatic complaints
  2. Persistent hopelessness Correct answer.
  3. Irritability
  4. Separation worry

Explanation

Adolescents with depression more often report hopelessness, worthlessness, anhedonia, and suicidal ideation. Younger children more often present with somatic complaints, irritability, and separation-related worries. The same underlying disorder can therefore look different across developmental stages.

Question 17Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Selective mutism is best characterized by which pattern?

  1. Silence in select settings only Correct answer.
  2. Whispered speech only
  3. Mutism from a brain lesion
  4. No language in any setting

Explanation

Selective mutism involves a consistent failure to speak in specific social situations where speaking is expected, despite speaking in other situations. The disturbance lasts at least 1 month and interferes with functioning. It is not a global absence of language or a neurological mutism.

Question 18Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Tourette syndrome requires which pattern of tics?

  1. Motor tics only for over 1 year
  2. Any tic for over 1 month
  3. Vocal tics only for over 6 months
  4. Motor plus vocal tics for over 1 year Correct answer.

Explanation

Tourette syndrome requires multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic, persisting for more than 1 year since onset. Persistent motor or vocal tic disorder involves only one type of tic. Provisional tic disorder involves tics present for less than 1 year.

Question 19Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A child with dyslexia typically has primary difficulty with:

  1. Expressive grammar
  2. Phonological processing Correct answer.
  3. Gross motor coordination
  4. Mathematical calculation

Explanation

Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder with impairment in reading, most often reflecting a core deficit in phonological processing. This leads to problems with accurate or fluent word recognition and spelling. Mathematics, gross motor coordination, and grammar are not the primary deficits in dyslexia.

Question 20Developmental psychopathology and normative development

An adolescent who believes that others are constantly watching and evaluating her is displaying:

  1. Animistic thinking
  2. Centration errors
  3. Imaginary audience Correct answer.
  4. Object conservation

Explanation

Elkind's imaginary audience is the adolescent belief that one is the focus of others' attention and evaluation. It is part of adolescent egocentrism and often contributes to self-consciousness. Conservation, centration, and animism are Piagetian concepts from earlier developmental stages.

Question 21Developmental psychopathology and normative development

In the Strange Situation, a toddler who approaches the caregiver and then freezes or turns away, showing contradictory behaviors, is classified as:

  1. Disorganized/disoriented Correct answer.
  2. Secure
  3. Avoidant
  4. Resistant

Explanation

Disorganized/disoriented attachment is marked by contradictory, freezing, apprehensive, or incomplete behaviors during separation and reunion. It is often associated with frightening or unpredictable caregiving, including maltreatment. Avoidant, resistant, and secure patterns show more coherent strategies.

Question 22Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which feature most strongly suggests pediatric bipolar disorder rather than ADHD?

  1. Chronic hyperactivity from age 3
  2. Inattention only at school
  3. Episodic mood elevation Correct answer.
  4. Frequent temper tantrums

Explanation

Pediatric bipolar disorder is suggested by distinct episodes of elevated or irritable mood with associated changes such as decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, or increased goal-directed activity. ADHD is typically chronic and persistent rather than episodic. Temper tantrums and inattention are nonspecific and common in both conditions.

Question 23Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Reactive attachment disorder is distinguished from autism spectrum disorder primarily by which feature?

  1. Presence of restricted interests
  2. Neglect history with absent attachment Correct answer.
  3. Presence of social smiling
  4. Presence of language delay

Explanation

Reactive attachment disorder requires a history of severe neglect and is characterized by inhibited, emotionally withdrawn behavior with absent or minimal attachment-seeking. Autism spectrum disorder includes restricted and repetitive behaviors and social communication deficits that are not explained by neglect. Language delay and social smiling do not reliably distinguish the two.

Question 24Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which feature is most consistent with childhood-onset schizophrenia rather than a primary psychotic mood disorder?

  1. Gradual social decline without mood episodes Correct answer.
  2. Episodes only during manic periods
  3. Psychosis with prominent mood symptoms first
  4. Psychosis only during depression

Explanation

Childhood-onset schizophrenia often involves gradual social and cognitive decline with psychotic symptoms occurring outside of primary mood episodes. In psychotic mood disorders, psychosis is temporally tied to manic or depressive episodes. Prominent mood symptoms preceding psychosis point toward a mood disorder.

Question 25Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which factor is most consistently associated with resilience in children exposed to adversity?

  1. Early academic achievement
  2. High socioeconomic status alone
  3. One stable supportive caregiver Correct answer.
  4. Absence of any stress exposure

Explanation

Resilience is promoted most consistently by at least one stable, supportive relationship with a caregiver or other adult. Socioeconomic advantage alone does not ensure resilience, and resilience refers to positive adaptation despite stress rather than the absence of stress. Academic achievement may be an outcome of resilience rather than its primary driver.

Question 26Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Independent walking without support typically first emerges in normally developing children at approximately which age?

  1. 9 to 11 months
  2. 18 to 20 months
  3. 12 to 15 months Correct answer.
  4. 6 to 8 months

Explanation

Walking alone is a gross motor milestone with a median onset near 12 months and a normal range of roughly 9 to 18 months. Most children take independent steps between 12 and 15 months, though earlier and later attainment can still be within normal limits.

Question 27Developmental psychopathology and normative development

The social smile-smiling selectively in response to a human face or voice-typically first emerges at about which age?

  1. Birth to 2 weeks
  2. 6 to 10 weeks Correct answer.
  3. 8 to 10 months
  4. 4 to 6 months

Explanation

Newborns show endogenous or reflex smiles, but a social smile is usually present by 6 to 8 weeks. By 2 to 3 months it becomes more reliable and selective, marking early social responsiveness.

Question 28Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A child's first meaningful spoken word typically appears at approximately which age?

  1. 12 months Correct answer.
  2. 6 months
  3. 24 months
  4. 9 months

Explanation

First words usually emerge between 10 and 15 months, with 12 months as a common median. By about 18 to 24 months, most children combine words into simple two-word phrases.

Question 29Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder requires that the chronic irritability and recurrent temper outbursts have their onset before which age?

  1. Age 6
  2. Age 10 Correct answer.
  3. Age 8
  4. Age 12

Explanation

DSM-5-TR sets the onset of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder before age 10, with diagnosis not intended before age 6 or after age 18. The irritability must be present nearly every day for at least 12 months and be evident across settings.

Question 30Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A 2-year-old repeatedly tries to sit on a dollhouse-sized chair. This behavior is best explained by which developmental limitation?

  1. Absent object permanence
  2. Immature dual representation Correct answer.
  3. Delayed fine motor coordination
  4. Impaired joint attention

Explanation

Scale errors reflect an immature capacity for dual representation: the toddler represents both the object's real-world function and its miniature size but cannot coordinate the two. This typically fades as symbolic understanding and action planning mature.

Question 31Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A child who shows early social withdrawal later develops major depression in adolescence. This pattern is best described as which concept?

  1. Homotypic continuity
  2. Developmental regression
  3. Heterotypic continuity Correct answer.
  4. Multifinality

Explanation

Heterotypic continuity refers to a persistent underlying liability that changes its behavioral expression across development. Early withdrawal and later depression differ in surface presentation but can reflect the same evolving internalizing vulnerability.

Question 32Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Which executive function shows particularly rapid improvement between ages 3 and 5 and supports a child's readiness to follow classroom rules?

  1. Processing speed
  2. Inhibitory control Correct answer.
  3. Digit span for numbers
  4. Set-shifting

Explanation

Inhibitory control-the ability to suppress a prepotent response-improves markedly during the preschool years. This development helps children wait, take turns, and comply with adult instructions, all of which support school readiness.

Question 33Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A child with a specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia) most typically shows primary difficulty with which skill?

  1. Handwriting fluency and letter formation
  2. Receptive vocabulary and syntax
  3. Number sense and fact retrieval Correct answer.
  4. Phonological awareness and decoding

Explanation

Dyscalculia primarily affects numerical magnitude understanding, arithmetic fact retrieval, and calculation accuracy. Reading, writing, and oral language can be intact unless another learning disorder co-occurs.

Question 34Developmental psychopathology and normative development

Two children both develop social anxiety disorder, but one has a history of early behavioral inhibition and the other a history of chronic peer victimization. This illustrates which developmental psychopathology concept?

  1. Homotypic continuity
  2. Equifinality Correct answer.
  3. Developmental cascade
  4. Multifinality

Explanation

Equifinality means that different developmental pathways can lead to the same outcome. Here, distinct early risk factors converge on social anxiety disorder, illustrating multiple routes to one phenotype.

Question 35Developmental psychopathology and normative development

A stressor produces severe effects when it occurs during one developmental period but minimal effects when it occurs at another. This phenomenon is best described as which principle?

  1. Sensitive-period effects Correct answer.
  2. Heterotypic continuity
  3. Multifinality
  4. Equifinality

Explanation

Sensitive periods are windows during which developing systems are especially responsive to particular experiences, for better or worse. The same exposure can therefore have stronger or weaker effects depending on when it occurs.

Question 36Developmental psychopathology and normative development

The sleep phase delay commonly observed in adolescence is best explained by which normative developmental change?

  1. A pubertal shift toward later circadian timing Correct answer.
  2. A marked increase in slow-wave sleep across adolescence
  3. A decline in total sleep need to about 6 hours per night
  4. Loss of homeostatic sleep drive

Explanation

Puberty is associated with a circadian phase delay, so adolescents naturally feel sleepy later and wake later. Psychosocial factors such as evening activities and early school start times can amplify this biological shift.

Question 37Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

How many primary index scores does the WISC-V produce, in addition to the Full Scale IQ?

  1. Five Correct answer.
  2. Seven
  3. Six
  4. Four

Explanation

The WISC-V yields five primary index scores: Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed. The Full Scale IQ is derived from subtests drawn from these five indexes. Earlier editions used a four-index structure, which is why the number changed.

Question 38Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

The WPPSI-IV is normed for which age range?

  1. 4 years 0 months to 8 years 11 months
  2. 2 years 6 months to 7 years 7 months Correct answer.
  3. 1 year 6 months to 5 years 6 months
  4. 3 years 0 months to 8 years 0 months

Explanation

The WPPSI-IV covers ages 2 years 6 months through 7 years 7 months, bridging preschool and early elementary years. It includes both a shorter version for younger children and a fuller battery for older preschoolers. Examiners select subtests according to the child's age band.

Question 39Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition (Bayley-4), is normed for which age range?

  1. 6 months to 48 months
  2. 16 days to 42 months Correct answer.
  3. 12 months to 60 months
  4. 0 to 12 months

Explanation

The Bayley-4 is designed for children from 16 days through 42 months of age. It assesses cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional development, along with adaptive behavior via caregiver report. Scores are expressed as scaled scores and composite scores rather than IQs.

Question 40Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

Which instrument is organized around five factors labeled Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, and Working Memory?

  1. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition Correct answer.
  2. Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities
  3. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition
  4. Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition

Explanation

The SB5 uses a five-factor hierarchical model with a Verbal and a Nonverbal domain for each factor. This structure allows examiners to compare verbal and nonverbal performance within the same ability areas. The other instruments use different index structures.

Question 41Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

The ADOS-2 is best described as which type of instrument?

  1. A self-report questionnaire for adolescents with autism
  2. A semi-structured observational assessment of autism symptomatology Correct answer.
  3. A teacher-completed rating scale of classroom behavior
  4. A parent-report screening questionnaire covering core autism symptoms and co-occurring behavior problems

Explanation

The ADOS-2 is a standardized, semi-structured observation in which the examiner codes social communication and restricted, repetitive behavior. It is administered directly to the child rather than completed by an informant. Modules are chosen according to age and expressive language level.

Question 42Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition, is designed to measure which domain?

  1. Personality functioning
  2. Academic achievement
  3. Adaptive behavior Correct answer.
  4. Executive functioning

Explanation

The Vineland-3 assesses adaptive behavior, including communication, daily living skills, socialization, and motor skills. It is completed by caregivers or teachers and is often used alongside cognitive testing when intellectual disability is being considered. Adaptive behavior is defined by everyday functioning rather than test-based problem solving.

Question 43Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

On a measure with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, a standard score of 100 corresponds to which percentile rank?

  1. 84th
  2. 50th Correct answer.
  3. 34th
  4. 16th

Explanation

A standard score equal to the mean falls at the 50th percentile, meaning half of the norm group scored below that point. Scores one standard deviation above the mean (115) correspond to roughly the 84th percentile. Percentile ranks are ordinal positions, not equal-interval units, so they should not be averaged.

Question 44Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

DSM-5-TR requires that several symptoms of ADHD be present before which age?

  1. Age 7
  2. Age 18
  3. Age 16
  4. Age 12 Correct answer.

Explanation

DSM-5-TR requires several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms to be present before age 12. The earlier DSM-IV threshold was age 7. Symptoms must also be present in more than one setting and cause functional impairment.

Question 45Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

A child earns a standard score of 85 on an IQ test that has a standard error of measurement of 4. Which interpretation is most defensible?

  1. The child would obtain the identical score on every re-administration.
  2. The score should be discarded because it falls within one standard error of the mean.
  3. A 95% confidence interval around the obtained score is approximately 77 to 93. Correct answer.
  4. The child's true score is exactly 85.

Explanation

A confidence interval is built by adding and subtracting a multiple of the standard error of measurement from the obtained score. For 95% confidence this is roughly 85 ± 1.96 × 4, or about 77 to 93. Reporting the interval conveys the imprecision of the single observed score.

Question 46Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

Under DSM-5-TR, which statement best characterizes the criteria for specific learning disorder?

  1. The disorder can only be diagnosed after the age of twelve years.
  2. Diagnosis cannot be made if the child has already received academic intervention.
  3. A severe discrepancy between IQ and achievement scores is required for diagnosis.
  4. Skills are substantially below age expectations despite targeted intervention. Correct answer.

Explanation

DSM-5-TR defines specific learning disorder by persistent difficulties in reading, writing, or mathematics that are substantially below age expectations and resistant to targeted instruction. It explicitly does not require an IQ-achievement discrepancy. Prior intervention is expected and does not preclude diagnosis.

Question 47Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

A clinician administers both the ADOS-2 and the ADI-R during an autism evaluation. What is the main rationale for combining them?

  1. Both instruments are self-report questionnaires completed independently by the adolescent.
  2. The two instruments yield scores that are averaged into a single composite severity index.
  3. Observed behavior and caregiver-reported history jointly strengthen diagnostic confidence. Correct answer.
  4. The ADI-R alone is sufficient and eliminates the need for clinician judgment in diagnosis.

Explanation

The ADOS-2 documents current behavior in a standardized observation, while the ADI-R captures developmental history from the caregiver. Discrepancies between the two are informative rather than disqualifying. No autism diagnosis should rest on a single score or instrument.

Question 48Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

A child with a Full Scale IQ of 118 obtains a reading comprehension standard score of 92. Which conclusion is most defensible?

  1. The discrepancy proves that the child received inadequate reading instruction.
  2. The child meets criteria for a learning disorder on the basis of the discrepancy alone.
  3. The gap warrants follow-up but does not by itself establish a learning disorder. Correct answer.
  4. The reading score is invalid because it is lower than the measured IQ.

Explanation

A discrepancy between ability and achievement is a signal for closer evaluation rather than a diagnosis in itself. Diagnosis requires evidence of low achievement, persistence despite intervention, and exclusion of other causes. The 92 score also falls within the average range, which further weakens a discrepancy-only conclusion.

Question 49Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

Which coefficient best estimates the consistency of scores when the same test is administered to the same children on two occasions?

  1. Test-retest reliability Correct answer.
  2. Inter-rater reliability
  3. Cronbach's alpha
  4. Split-half reliability

Explanation

Test-retest reliability is computed by correlating scores from repeated administrations separated by a time interval. It captures temporal stability as well as internal consistency. The interval chosen matters because very long intervals confound unreliability with genuine developmental change.

Question 50Assessment, diagnosis, and psychological/psychoeducational testing

A newly developed child anxiety scale correlates .82 with an established anxiety measure. This finding provides evidence for which psychometric property?

  1. Content validity
  2. Convergent validity Correct answer.
  3. Discriminant validity
  4. Test-retest reliability

Explanation

Convergent validity is supported when a new measure correlates strongly with other measures of the same construct. A correlation of .82 with an established anxiety scale is consistent with that pattern. Discriminant validity would require showing low correlations with measures of different constructs.