ASWB Clinical flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Erikson identity vs role confusion

Adolescent psychosocial task of forming a coherent self-concept; success yields fidelity, while failure yields confusion about roles and values.

Piaget object permanence

Sensorimotor-stage milestone in which the child knows objects continue to exist when out of sight, typically emerging in the first two years.

Kohlberg conventional level

Moral reasoning based on meeting social expectations and upholding rules or laws; includes interpersonal conformity and law-and-order orientations.

Bronfenbrenner exosystem

Environmental layer of settings the person does not directly inhabit but that affect them, such as a parent's workplace or community institutions.

Secure attachment

Attachment pattern where the caregiver is a reliable safe haven; the child explores freely and seeks comfort under stress, supporting later regulation.

Berry acculturation strategies

Four strategies from heritage-culture retention and host-culture contact: integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization.

Minority stress model

Framework holding that stigma, prejudice, and internalized stigma create chronic stress that explains elevated distress in marginalized populations.

Negative reinforcement

Operant principle in which a behavior increases because it removes or avoids an aversive stimulus, distinct from punishment.

DSM-5-TR substance use severity

Threshold of 2 or more of 11 criteria in 12 months; 2-3 mild, 4-5 moderate, 6 or more severe.

Major depressive episode criteria

Five or more symptoms for at least two weeks, including depressed mood or anhedonia, causing distress or impairment.

Manic episode duration

At least one week of elevated or irritable mood with increased energy and three or more associated symptoms, causing marked impairment.

Mental status exam domains

Structured observation of appearance, behavior, speech, mood, affect, thought process and content, perception, cognition, insight, and judgment.

Schizophrenia duration criterion

Continuous signs for at least six months, including at least one month of active-phase symptoms, to distinguish it from schizophreniform disorder.

PHQ-9 purpose

Nine-item self-report that screens for and grades depression severity, with a final item assessing suicidal ideation.

Differential diagnosis

Systematic comparison of plausible conditions against criteria and time course to select the diagnosis that best explains the presentation.

Behavioral treatment goals

Objectives written in observable, measurable terms with a time frame, so progress toward them can be documented and reviewed.

Cognitive restructuring

CBT technique that identifies and tests distorted automatic thoughts, replacing them with more balanced, evidence-based appraisals.

Behavioral activation

Depression intervention that schedules meaningful activities to increase positive reinforcement and reduce avoidance and withdrawal.

Motivational interviewing OARS

Core skills of open questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries used to elicit and strengthen the client's own change talk.

Stages of change

Prochaska and DiClemente cycle of precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse; interventions match the current stage.

Transference

Psychodynamic phenomenon in which the client redirects feelings and expectations from earlier relationships onto the clinician.

Countertransference

Clinician's emotional reactions to the client shaped by the clinician's own history; managed through self-awareness and supervision.

Miracle question

Solution-focused prompt asking the client to describe life as if the problem were solved, revealing goals and preferred outcomes.

Trauma stabilization phase

Initial treatment stage establishing safety, coping skills, and affect regulation before processing traumatic memories.

Case management functions

Needs assessment, service coordination, advocacy, resource linkage, progress monitoring, and documentation supporting continuity of care.

Informed consent elements

Disclosure of nature of services, risks, benefits, alternatives, confidentiality limits, and fees, obtained voluntarily with documented client capacity.

Confidentiality limits

Exceptions including imminent danger, suspected abuse, court orders, and written authorization, disclosed to clients at the start of treatment.

Duty to protect

Obligation, when a client threatens an identifiable victim, to take protective steps such as warning, notifying police, or hospitalization.

Boundary violation

Departure from professional role that exploits or harms the client, such as a sexual relationship, and is always prohibited.

Boundary crossing

Minor, non-exploitative deviation from standard practice that may be clinically helpful and is evaluated for context and effect.

Mandated reporting threshold

Legal duty triggered by reasonable suspicion, not proof, of child or elder abuse, reported to the designated agency within the statutory time.

Therapeutic termination

Planned ending when goals are met or services are no longer beneficial, requiring notice, referral options, and avoidance of abandonment.