Definition
“Qualitative neuropsychological assessment” is an elusive concept in evolution. While many would agree that it contrasts in a general way with the other main model for neuropsychological assessment – the quantitative method – some divergent views would likely emerge as to specific features of qualitative methods. The greatest consensus would almost certainly concern its emphasis on clinical observation of the processes by which examinees approach tests, formulate strategies, and work toward solutions – in contrast to the quantitative method’s focus on numerical scores. However, this opposition leads to a false and potentially counterproductive dichotomy in practice. As noted by Bauer (2000), advocates of each approach employ some methods of the contrasting paradigm – quantitative enthusiasts do not ignore relevant behavioral observations and “qualitative neuropsychologists” derive and interpret test scores. Incagnoli (1986) argued that the essential distinction between...
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Kolakowsky-Hayner, S.A., Caplan, B. (2018). Qualitative Neuropsychological Assessment. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1239
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