PSYC31H3 Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Theory and Practice of Neuropsychological Assessment
Document Summary
The basic data of psychological examinations, like any other psychological data, are behavioural observations. However, these deficits become painfully apparent to anyone who is with these patients as they go about their usual activities or, inactivities. Test data: testing differs from these other forms of psychological data gathering in that it elicits behaviour samples in a standardized, replicable, and more or less artificial and restrictive situation. Its strengths lie in the approximate sameness of the test situation for each subject, for it is the sameness that enables the examiner to compare behaviour samples between individuals, over time, or with epected performance levels. If someone were to sustain a right hemisphere stroke, and his verbal skills were high/superior, but was unable to construct two-dimensional geometric deigns. The neuropsychologist would conclude that the visuoperceptual distortions and misjudgements would occur to a similar extent with layout and design material.