Psychological Assessment with Empirical Research - Case Study Example

Running header: Case Study Report (Psychology) Student’s name: Name of institution: Instructor’s name: Course code: Date of submission: Case Study Report (Psychology) Case History Introduction Psychological assessment is usually concerned with empirical research done on measurements and evaluations that are relevant to the broad field of clinical psychology. It is a field that is characterized by using different samples of behaviors in order to effectively assess psychological constructs such as emotional and cognitive functioning about a particular individual under study. Effective psychological testing involves critically observing an individual as he or she performs task that have in most cases been prescribed before the observation. These observations are usually compiled and analyzed by the evaluator, usually by comparing them to the responses of a norm group. This paper will report on the behavioral observations of a nine year old boy so as to describe and interpret his behavior within the counselling context and the school observation context. The report will highlight what was observed about the client, how the client appeared to the observer, the number of times that the client was counseled and what abilities and processes were assessed during the observations and counselling. This essay will further discuss the finding of the assessment by highlighting the assessment information that was gathered and what assessments were referred to from professionals. This case report will finally summarize the findings of the assessment and give an action plan in form of recommendations for the client’s case. Background Information The client in this case study is called Yen Tsai. He is a boy aged nine years and three months old and is in class 5 at Smithville primary school. Before Yen joined Smithville primary school, he had been attending a different school that was still around the same area. His mother transferred him from that school to his current one because she became concerned about Yen’s deteriorating performance in school. Yen’s mother also moved Yen to his current school because she was very worried about the rampant bullying that had been happening at Yen’s previous school. Yen’s mother notes that there have been no significant delays in the development of Yen and she says that Yen was an easy baby during his infancy. Currently, Yen is suffering from bronchitis and asthma. These health conditions have caused Yen to miss several days of his school. Yen does not suffer from any other medical condition and his vision and hearing have been clinically checked and found to have no problems. Yen lives with both his mother and father as an only child. Yen’s father is usually very busy and preoccupied with his work and so Yen’s mother is left with the responsibility of caring for him at home. According to Yen’s mother, the boy can be very hard to manage at home because he does not seem to follow rules and instructions given to him. This is evident from the fact that on many occasions, Yen refuses to come for dinner when called to do so and continues to play with his toys in total disregard of his mother’s calls. Yen’s mother further notes that Yen loves to listen to bedtime stories and usually pays a lot of attention when they are being read out to him. His mother is of the opinion that Yen’s bedtime is his most relaxed time of the day. In school, Yen’s teacher notes that Yen is having a lot of learning difficulties in the classroom as compared to the rest of his peers and classmates. This is evident in the fact that his grades and academic results are significantly lower than those of his peers. In fact, according to the teacher, Yen’s reading and writing skills can be compared to those of an early year 2 level child. Yen’s difficulties in learning can also be seen when he cannot remember simple rules for mathematical tasks. Yen is very easily destructible in class and finds it very difficult to stay focused in the classroom. He hardly concentrates in class and is quick to complain that tasks are boring and too difficult to be carried out. It is also very difficult for Yen to switch his attention from one activity to the next. While in class, he always finds something on his desk or around him to fidget with. His habit of not following rules and instructions is also observed in school because he does not follow directions in the classroom. He disregards the teacher’s directions by treating them as unimportant and he always seems to prefer doing his own activities. There are instances when Yen can make very distracting noises such as clicking his tongue in the classroom that can destruct the rest of the students when they are working. Yen’s teacher is not sure whether this behavior is deliberate or not. Yen’s teacher and mother report that he can be very impulsive at times and he ends up acting quickly or saying something without thinking about it. This sometimes makes him insult his friends. Yen also has a habit of wandering aimlessly in the classroom by leaving his seat, talking excessively and yelling out answers to questions that he has not be chosen by the teacher to answer. Yen tends to have the desire to move about even when he is seated on his chair. He becomes very easily frustrated especially if he does not immediately get what he wants. He disrupts games of other children and cannot wait his turn to access the equipment or balls. He is often apologetic after upsetting his friends and promises not to do so again. This shows that he can be sensitive and cares about the feelings of others. He goes to gymnastic classes but he is not very good at gymnastics and cannot play soccer well because of his inability to follow rules well, therefore becoming frustrated with the other players. He wants to stop attending gym lessons because he has noticed that he is not as good as the other children. Yen’s mother is really worried about the fact that her son is getting older and has started becoming more and more aware of his learning difficulties and the problems he has with his peers and friends. Yen’s Profile Yen is a nine year old male. Yen is suffering from bronchitis and asthma. Yen lives with both his mother and father and is the only child. Yen does not seem to follow rules and instructions given to him. Yen loves to listen to bedtime stories and usually pays a lot of attention when they are being read out to him. Yen is having a lot of learning difficulties in the classroom as compared to the rest of his peers. Yen is very easily destructible in class and finds it very difficult to stay focused in the classroom. Yen finds it difficult to switch his attention from one activity to the next. He disregards the teacher’s directions by doing his own activities. Yen can make very distracting noises in the classroom that destruct others. He can be very impulsive at times and he ends up acting quickly or saying something abruptly. He wandering aimlessly in the classroom and has the desire to always move about. Yen can be sensitive and cares about the feelings of others. He is not good in gymnastics. Assessment Findings (Description of the Presenting Problem) The assessment information that has been gathered from observing the client and through the counselling sessions includes the medical conditions that Yen is suffering from. Since Yen is suffering from asthma, he might be faced with conditions such as shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and tightness of the chest. These conditions could be reason why he is very restless, coupled with his young age (Foa, Huppert, Leiberg, Langner, Kichic, Hajcak & Salkovskis, 2002). Asthma is also synonymous with sleep disorders as a result of the altered anatomy of a victim’s respiratory tract. The bronchitis that Yen is also suffering from could also lead him to experience unpleasant conditions such as coughing, nasal congestion, running nose, sore throat, fever, shortness of breath and wheezing (Fresco, Coles, Heimberg, Liebowitz, Hami, Stein & Goetz, 2001). These conditions can contribute to the restlessness exhibited by Yen, the lack of patience and the poor results in gym lessons. According to Barkley (2005), these medical conditions that Yen is facing could contribute to the habits that Yen exhibits such as being easily destructible and finding it difficult to focus on one important thing at a time. Other assessments carried out by different researchers such as McGhee, Ehrler & Buckhalt in 2008, show that there are many children who exhibit such signs. Through the interviews conducted by these psychologists, it emerged that these symptoms were not likely to end up as legal issues. The parents with children who exhibit such behaviors would simply be referred to professional psychologists who have the ability to deal with such situations. These psychologists also reported to have held numerous previous assessments and counselling sessions with children who had similar profiles as Yen. They were able to come up with interpretations of these symptoms that would explain the reasons behind these behaviors in children (McGhee, Ehrler & Buckhalt, 2008). One’s medical history and conditions plays a major role in how they behave. As seen earlier, the asthma and bronchitis that Yen is suffering from may play a key role in shaping his behaviors (Schmidt, Richey & Fitzpatrick, 2006). In any psychological assessments such as this one, assessment is done through measurement and non-measurement means. Non-measurement means such as interviews, observations, checklists and questionnaires. These assessment activities are distinguishable from those that require measurements (Foa, Huppert, Leiberg, Langner, Kichic, Hajcak & Salkovskis, 2002). In accordance to Achenbach’s system of empirically based assessment, children’s behaviors, problems, competencies and emotions can be monitored using special systems and software designed to carry out these tasks. These systems use scales that are used to measure the varying degrees of the above qualities in people who are under psychological assessment. These scales describe specific behaviors and emotions. Yen’s behavior can be assessed using the Achenbach’s system of empirically based assessment to find out the degree to which Yen seems to deviate from what is considered to be normal (Fresco, Coles, Heimberg, Liebowitz, Hami, Stein & Goetz, 2001). Interpretation of test findings The test findings reveal that Yen can be exhibiting such behaviors for a number of reasons. Firstly, Yen is seen to be the only child in his family. This means that Yen is not used to sharing many things with other siblings since he is the only child. Raising an only child can be very tricky since parents have to balance between caring for the child and allowing them the opportunity to be more independent as they grow up. According to the five factor personality model, only children tend to be socially dominant, less open to new ideas, and less agreeable than other children with many siblings. Yen’s behavior of not being able to relate well with the other children can be explained using this model. The fact that Yen is also the only child may make him feel threatened by other children in school because he is used to getting all the attention at home. This may explain why he is very destructible and easily bored in the classroom where he is not the centre of attention (Fresco, Coles, Heimberg, Liebowitz, Hami, Stein & Goetz, 2001). Yen is also cared for by his mother alone. His father exists but does not actively participate in caring for Yen at home because he is always too busy and preoccupied with his work. Yen is mostly used to having his mother around as the head of the house and as his caregiver. He lacks a father figure that is actively involved in caring for him. According to the five factor personality model, this may explain Yen’s behavior of not following simple rules and instructions given to him. Yen’s abrupt shouting and making of noises in class might be a means of seeking attention. These problems may come up from the fact that he may want his father around and has decided to act out in school to fill this void. This is best explained in the children’s depression inventory and the personality inventory for children (Simons & Gaher, 2005). Recommendations It is recommendable that Yen’s father takes a more active role in caring for his son. This can help to instill some sense of respect for authority in Yen. Yen needs a strict father figure that will teach him to respect authority and follow rules and instructions given to him. Both parents should find a system of spending time with their child together so that the child can get used to having both of them around (Fresco, Coles, Heimberg, Liebowitz, Hami, Stein & Goetz, 2001). In accordance to the children’s depression inventory, it is also advisable that Yen’s parents get him to start relating with other children at home since he is the only child and has no siblings. This can help Yen to develop better socializing skills and learn how to relate well with his peers. He can learn how to play with others and share things with them (Foa, Huppert, Leiberg, Langner, Kichic, Hajcak & Salkovskis, 2002). It is also highly recommendable that the health conditions that Yen is suffering from be treated or well managed in the case that they cannot be treated. This will help to give him a normal life just like the rest of the children. He does not have to undergo the discomforts that are brought about by these two medical conditions (Zanarini, Frankenburg & Vujanovic, 2002). Yen can also be helped with his academic difficulties by being given extra tuition that can help him to catch up with the other students. He can be given special attention by the teachers which can help him be at par with the rest of the pupils in his class (Simons & Gaher, 2005). Conclusion In conclusion, the psychology of differences in individuals seeks to describe the differences in people. It also aims to understand how these differences arise and the reasons why they arise. To successfully conduct these assessments, various instruments must be used widely and accurately (Foa, Huppert, Leiberg, Langner, Kichic, Hajcak & Salkovskis, 2002). These assessment instruments are based on empirical, scientific and objective approaches to make verifiable and justifiable predictions about people. This avoids the situation whereby one is subjective in opinions. In psychological assessment, information from multiple sources is integrated so as to be able to make decisions, explanations, descriptions and predictions (Zanarini, Frankenburg & Vujanovic, 2002). In the case of Yen, his mother got worried about Yen’s behaviors that are still persistent even as he grows older. Yen has been seen to have many personality disorders that cause him to behave the way he does. This are brought about by a number of issues such as the diseases that he suffers from and other social factors such as the fact that he is the only child. The behaviors he is exhibiting can also be attributed to the absence of a father figure most of the time. References Barkley, R. A. (2005).  Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. 3rd ed.  New York: Guilford.  Exner, J. E. & Erdberg, P. (2005). The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: advanced Interpretation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons. Foa, E., Huppert, E., Leiberg, S., Langner, R., Kichic, R., Hajcak, G. & Salkovskis, P. (2002).  The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory: Development & validation of a short version. Psychological Assessment, 14 (4), 485-496. Fresco, D., Coles, M., Heimberg, R., Liebowitz, M., Hami, S., Stein, M. & Goetz, D. (2001).  The Liebowitz social anxiety scale: A comparison of the psychometric properties of self-report & clinician-administered formats.  Psychological Medicine, 31, 1025-1035. Garner, D. (2004).  Eating disorders inventory 3.  Psychological Assessment Resources: Lutz, FL. Gratz, K. L., & Roemer, L. (2004).  Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale.  Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41-54. McGhee, R. L., Ehrler, D., & Buckhalt, J. (2008). Manual for the Five Factor Personality Inventory – Children. Austin, TX: Pro Ed, Inc. Schmidt, N. B., Richey, J. & Fitzpatrick, K. (2006).  Discomfort intolerance: Development of a construct & measure relevant to panic disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20, 263-280. Simons, J. & Gaher, R. (2005).  The distress tolerance scale: Development & validation of a self-report measure. Motivation & Emotion, 29, 83-102. Zanarini, M., Frankenburg, F. & Vujanovic, A. (2002).  The interrater & test-retest reliability of the revised diagnostic interview for borderlines (DIB-R). Journal of Personality Disorders, 16, 270-276. Read More

Yen’s difficulties in learning can also be seen when he cannot remember simple rules for mathematical tasks. Yen is very easily destructible in class and finds it very difficult to stay focused in the classroom. He hardly concentrates in class and is quick to complain that tasks are boring and too difficult to be carried out. It is also very difficult for Yen to switch his attention from one activity to the next. While in class, he always finds something on his desk or around him to fidget with.

His habit of not following rules and instructions is also observed in school because he does not follow directions in the classroom. He disregards the teacher’s directions by treating them as unimportant and he always seems to prefer doing his own activities. There are instances when Yen can make very distracting noises such as clicking his tongue in the classroom that can destruct the rest of the students when they are working. Yen’s teacher is not sure whether this behavior is deliberate or not.

Yen’s teacher and mother report that he can be very impulsive at times and he ends up acting quickly or saying something without thinking about it. This sometimes makes him insult his friends. Yen also has a habit of wandering aimlessly in the classroom by leaving his seat, talking excessively and yelling out answers to questions that he has not be chosen by the teacher to answer. Yen tends to have the desire to move about even when he is seated on his chair. He becomes very easily frustrated especially if he does not immediately get what he wants.

He disrupts games of other children and cannot wait his turn to access the equipment or balls. He is often apologetic after upsetting his friends and promises not to do so again. This shows that he can be sensitive and cares about the feelings of others. He goes to gymnastic classes but he is not very good at gymnastics and cannot play soccer well because of his inability to follow rules well, therefore becoming frustrated with the other players. He wants to stop attending gym lessons because he has noticed that he is not as good as the other children.

Yen’s mother is really worried about the fact that her son is getting older and has started becoming more and more aware of his learning difficulties and the problems he has with his peers and friends. Yen’s Profile Yen is a nine year old male. Yen is suffering from bronchitis and asthma. Yen lives with both his mother and father and is the only child. Yen does not seem to follow rules and instructions given to him. Yen loves to listen to bedtime stories and usually pays a lot of attention when they are being read out to him.

Yen is having a lot of learning difficulties in the classroom as compared to the rest of his peers. Yen is very easily destructible in class and finds it very difficult to stay focused in the classroom. Yen finds it difficult to switch his attention from one activity to the next. He disregards the teacher’s directions by doing his own activities. Yen can make very distracting noises in the classroom that destruct others. He can be very impulsive at times and he ends up acting quickly or saying something abruptly.

He wandering aimlessly in the classroom and has the desire to always move about. Yen can be sensitive and cares about the feelings of others. He is not good in gymnastics. Assessment Findings (Description of the Presenting Problem) The assessment information that has been gathered from observing the client and through the counselling sessions includes the medical conditions that Yen is suffering from. Since Yen is suffering from asthma, he might be faced with conditions such as shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and tightness of the chest.

These conditions could be reason why he is very restless, coupled with his young age (Foa, Huppert, Leiberg, Langner, Kichic, Hajcak & Salkovskis, 2002). Asthma is also synonymous with sleep disorders as a result of the altered anatomy of a victim’s respiratory tract.

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