ASWB Masters flashcards

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

Identity vs role confusion

Erikson's fifth psychosocial stage, roughly ages 12 to 18, in which the adolescent forms a coherent sense of self; successful resolution yields the virtue of fidelity.

Concrete operational stage

Piaget's third stage, about ages 7 to 11, marked by conservation, reversibility, classification, and logical reasoning about concrete rather than abstract events.

Secure attachment

Ainsworth classification in which the infant explores freely while the caregiver is present, shows distress at separation, and is readily comforted at reunion, reflecting consistent responsive caregiving.

Microsystem

Bronfenbrenner's innermost ecological level: the immediate settings in which the person lives and interacts, such as family, school, peer group, or workplace.

Integration (acculturation)

Berry's strategy in which a person maintains the heritage culture while also engaging the host culture; generally associated with the best psychological and social adaptation outcomes.

Conventional moral reasoning

Kohlberg's second level, in which right and wrong are judged by social approval, loyalty, and maintaining law and order rather than by consequences or abstract principles.

Splitting

A primitive defense mechanism in which self and others are experienced as all good or all bad, with the two views kept apart; common in borderline personality organization.

Cultural Formulation Interview

A DSM-5 structured set of sixteen questions covering cultural identity, cultural explanations of distress, stressors and supports, and the clinician-client relationship to guide culturally informed assessment.

Mental status examination

A structured observational assessment covering appearance, behavior, speech, mood and affect, thought process and content, cognition, insight, and judgment, used to describe current psychiatric functioning.

PHQ-9 severity cutoffs

A nine-item depression screen scored 0 to 27: 5 to 9 mild, 10 to 14 moderate, 15 to 19 moderately severe, and 20 or higher severe; item nine screens suicidal ideation.

Reliability versus validity

Reliability is the consistency and repeatability of a measure; validity is the degree to which it measures the construct it claims to measure. Reliability is necessary but not sufficient for validity.

Delirium versus dementia

Delirium has acute onset with fluctuating attention and consciousness, often from medical causes; dementia is chronic and progressive, with clouding of consciousness typically absent until late stages.

CAGE questionnaire

A four-item alcohol screen asking about Cutting down, Annoyance at criticism, Guilt about drinking, and morning Eye-openers; two or more positive answers indicate a likely problem.

Acute stress disorder

A DSM-5 diagnosis with trauma-related intrusion, negative mood, dissociation, avoidance, and arousal symptoms lasting from three days to one month after the traumatic event.

Prior suicide attempt

The single strongest known predictor of completed suicide; risk assessment should pair it with current intent, plan, access to lethal means, and protective factors.

Biopsychosocial assessment

An evaluation that integrates biological, psychological, and social contributors to a presenting problem, forming the basis for diagnosis, case formulation, and intervention planning.

OARS

Motivational interviewing microskills: Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflective listening with complex reflections emphasized, and Summaries; they build alliance and elicit change talk.

Stages of change model

Prochaska and DiClemente's sequence of precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse, used to match interventions to a client's current readiness.

Miracle question

A solution-focused technique asking the client to describe how life would differ if the problem vanished overnight, thereby building a concrete picture of goals and solutions.

Cognitive restructuring

A CBT technique in which clients identify automatic thoughts, test them against evidence, and replace distorted beliefs with more balanced alternatives; typically paired with between-session homework.

Enmeshment

A structural family therapy concept describing diffuse, overly permeable boundaries between members, so that autonomy is limited and one member's distress quickly spreads to others.

Storming stage

Tuckman's second group stage, marked by conflict over roles, power, and norms; effective facilitation helps the group move toward cohesion rather than avoiding the conflict.

Behavioral activation

An evidence-based depression intervention that schedules and monitors mastery and pleasure activities, reducing avoidance and reinforcing contact with natural rewards in the client's environment.

Trauma-informed principles

Safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment and choice, and attention to cultural, historical, and gender issues; these guide all service delivery.

NASW core values

Service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence; these six values underpin every ethical standard in the Code.

Duty to protect

The Tarasoff-based obligation, when a client poses a serious imminent threat to an identifiable person, to take protective action such as warning, notifying police, or arranging hospitalization.

Informed consent

An ongoing process covering the nature and purpose of services, risks, benefits, alternatives, fees, the right to refuse or withdraw, and limits of confidentiality, documented in the record.

Mandated reporting standard

Clinicians must report suspected child or elder abuse based on reasonable suspicion, not proof, to the designated agency within the statutory time frame, and must document the report.

42 CFR Part 2

A federal regulation giving substance use disorder treatment records stronger protection than HIPAA; redisclosure usually requires specific written consent that names the recipient.

Self-determination

The ethical principle that clients with capacity may choose their own goals and may refuse or end services, even when the clinician disagrees, unless serious harm is imminent.

Abandonment

Unethical termination of services without adequate notice, planning, referral, or follow-up; planned termination should be discussed early, agreed with the client, and documented.

Ethical decision-making

A structured process: identify the dilemma and facts, consult the NASW Code and relevant law, obtain supervision or consultation, weigh options, act, document, and evaluate the outcome.