Which of the following statements about cheating is true in the context of diagnosing psychological disorders?

• A. Cheating on psychological assessments always results in a more severe diagnosis.
• B. Cheating on psychological assessments has no impact on the validity of the diagnosis.
• C. Cheating on psychological assessments can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and inappropriate treatment plans.
• D. Cheating on psychological assessments is encouraged to test the reliability of the assessment tools.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the role of psychological assessments in diagnosing disorders. These assessments are designed to measure symptoms, behaviors, and cognitive functions accurately to inform diagnosis and treatment.
2. Step 2: Recognize that cheating on psychological assessments means providing false or misleading responses, which can distort the data collected.
3. Step 3: Consider the impact of distorted data: inaccurate responses can lead to incorrect conclusions about the individual's mental health status.
4. Step 4: Understand that inaccurate diagnoses can result in inappropriate or ineffective treatment plans, which may not address the actual issues the individual is facing.
5. Step 5: Conclude that cheating undermines the validity and reliability of psychological assessments, making the statement 'Cheating on psychological assessments can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and inappropriate treatment plans' the true and accurate one.