Exploration in Psychological Diagnostics

Within psychological diagnostics , exploration refers to the exploration of certain facts and moods by means of qualified conversation.

Definition

Medical terminology uses the term exploration to identify psychopathological phenomena by questioning the patient.

In psychology, this term was transferred for the determination of normal psychological processes, whereby the term "decision-oriented conversation" is recommended here with regard to the clarification of certain problems and relationships:

"A decision-oriented conversation is a conversation that is planned, carried out and evaluated in preparation for the most satisfactory decisions possible according to criteria of psychological science".

It is often difficult to distinguish it from taking anamnesis , as it is a collection of information that often flows into the preparation of decisions.

Depending on the objective, a distinction is made between

exploration, in which ambiguities , contradictions and gaps in a diagnostic examination are to be eliminated in order to obtain further information on the interpretation of test results, and
Exploration as a diagnostic method for examining personality traits, interests, values, attitudes, problems and ways of thinking of the test person.

2.a) The general or informative exploration should provide factual material, data, etc. and possibly provide information for the design of the investigation and the selection of the psychological-diagnostic procedures.

2.b) The targeted exploration serves to shed light on certain problems and relationships.

The test quality criteria of the exploration must be observed here.

Question areas

The question areas are ideally oriented towards psychological models in order to obtain an image of the diagnostic problem situation, which allows access to the knowledge and its application. According to Westhoff and Kluck, the possible question areas are e.g. B.

Environmental conditions
Organism conditions
Cognitive conditions
Emotional conditions
Motivational conditions
Social conditions

hazards

Since the decision-oriented conversation also relates to expectations and ideas, it must be ensured that the diagnostic situation is not directed towards an intervention. Furthermore, in open and intuitive conversations, the psychoanalytic phenomena of projection and countertransference as well as a certain preset towards the interlocutor appear. Therefore, a discussion guide adapted to the question should be used.

Further dangers lie in perception and assessment errors , implicit personality theories , one-sided hypothesis formation and school orientations (e.g. certain directions of psychotherapy ).

Individual evidence

^ KD Kubinger: Psychological diagnosis: theory and practice of psychological diagnosis. 2. revised and exp. Edition Hogrefe, Göttingen 2009, ISBN 978-3801722548 , p. 11.
↑ Häcker, H. & Stapf, KH (ed.). (2009). Dorsch Psychological Dictionary (15th ed.). Bern: Huber. P. 299. ISBN 978-3456846842
↑ K. Westhoff, ML Kluck: Writing and assessing psychological reports. 5th edition Springer, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3540468370 , p. 86.
↑ ^a ^b Kubinger, KD (2009). Psychological diagnosis: theory and practice of psychological diagnosis. 2. revised and exp. Edition Göttingen: Hogrefe. ISBN 978-3801722548 .
↑ Häcker, H. & Stapf, KH (ed.). (2009). Dorsch Psychological Dictionary (15th ed.). Bern: Huber. ISBN 978-3456846842
^ ^A ^b Westhoff, K. & Kluck, ML (2008). Write and evaluate psychological reports. (5th edition) Berlin: Springer. ISBN 978-3540468370
↑ Deegener, G. (2003). Exploration. In KD Kubinger & RS Jäger (ed.), Key Terms in Psychological Diagnostics (pp. 131–135). Weinheim: Beltz. ISBN 978-3621274722 .

[1] KD Kubinger: Psychological diagnosis: theory and practice of psychological diagnosis. 2. revised and exp. Edition Hogrefe, Göttingen 2009, ISBN 978-3801722548 , p. 11.

[2] Häcker, H. & Stapf, KH (ed.). (2009). Dorsch Psychological Dictionary (15th ed.). Bern: Huber. P. 299. ISBN 978-3456846842

[3] K. Westhoff, ML Kluck: Writing and assessing psychological reports. 5th edition Springer, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3540468370 , p. 86.

[Kubinger_2009_a-4] Kubinger, KD (2009). Psychological diagnosis: theory and practice of psychological diagnosis. 2. revised and exp. Edition Göttingen: Hogrefe. ISBN 978-3801722548 .

[Häcker&Stapf_2009_a-5] Häcker, H. & Stapf, KH (ed.). (2009). Dorsch Psychological Dictionary (15th ed.). Bern: Huber. ISBN 978-3456846842

[Westhoff&Kluck_2008_a-6] A ^b Westhoff, K. & Kluck, ML (2008). Write and evaluate psychological reports. (5th edition) Berlin: Springer. ISBN 978-3540468370

[7] Deegener, G. (2003). Exploration. In KD Kubinger & RS Jäger (ed.), Key Terms in Psychological Diagnostics (pp. 131–135). Weinheim: Beltz. ISBN 978-3621274722 .