Which of the following is a problem with using unstructured clinical interviews in the diagnosis of psychological disorders?

• A. They are more effective than structured interviews in identifying specific symptoms.
• B. They always ensure that all diagnostic criteria are thoroughly assessed.
• C. They eliminate the possibility of clinician bias during assessment.
• D. They may lead to inconsistent and unreliable diagnostic outcomes due to lack of standardized questions.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand what an unstructured clinical interview is: it is a type of interview where the clinician asks open-ended questions without a fixed set of standardized questions or order.
2. Recognize that the lack of standardized questions means different clinicians might ask different questions or focus on different areas, which can affect the consistency of the diagnosis.
3. Consider how this variability can lead to inconsistent and unreliable diagnostic outcomes because the assessment depends heavily on the clinician's judgment and style.
4. Contrast this with structured interviews, which use a fixed set of questions designed to cover all diagnostic criteria systematically, reducing variability and bias.
5. Conclude that a key problem with unstructured clinical interviews is that they may not thoroughly assess all diagnostic criteria and can introduce clinician bias, leading to less reliable diagnoses.