Psychological exam for a carry permit...

[Zoogster]

It sounds like they were just joking around.
The psychological evaluation is more of a policy that keeps everything 'may issue'.
Psychological issues are in general discretionary. Yes some people have issues and a diagnosis is good and allows them to get help.
Yet everyone could be diagnosed with something, or various things could just be considered the harmless personality of a normal individual. That is entirely discretionary. If you feel someone should be disarmed you can consider a personality trait a disorder. If you feel they are okay to be armed you can just consider them a harmless individual without a disorder.
The choice is yours as the individual doing the evaluation. What orders do you have? Who are you working for? Are you contracted by a court or government agency that expects you to find a disorder? Do you feel the individual is safe or should you find a disorder?
The answer to all those and more can be a big determiner of whether a disorder will be diagnosed.
Every college student that takes psychology can diagnose everyone they know including themselves with various things.

What is normal is defined differently in every society. Some mental illnesses in some societies are normal traits in others.
So psychological tests are a way of deciding if someone is 'normal' enough.
So the questions being silly don't really mean anything.
They are still trying to see if he is 'normal' enough to qualify for a permit.

 

[Orange_Magnum]

That's a nasty test. Isn't an apple on the twig as alive as the tree it's on? Because a firearm is designed to injure somebody, the last question looks a bit fishy too. And count backwards? Wouldn't it be more apropriate to ask the applicant if asking him to count backwards from 100 in decrements of 7 and pass the test would be good determinging factor whether he can carry a gun or not? Those thirld world countries belong down there for a reason: They have no grasp on reality or what's important. If there was a person demanding that I elaborate on bumblebees and bananas down at the sheriff's office when I gave my finger prints I'd request to come back another day when the real staff was in.

 

[LWGN]

I agree that this sounds like an evaluation for dementia and/or brain injury. The question about injuring someone with a firearm was probably just a screening question which would have been followed up for further details had the answer been "yes".

 

[gp911]

It is a standard clinical interview. The similarities questions (tree/bumblebee, etc.) are looking at abstract reasoning and ability to think in terms of classes. They're used in most IQ tests as well. It has little to no bearing on ability to safely carry a firearm, but the doc probably just used the standard procedure and wrote a generic report that basically said the person was not a danger to self or others, appeared to be of average intelligence, and was not suffering from any mental illness. That interview format is used in most psychological evaluations, whether it is for disability determination, evaluation of an employee, or to determine if that person is able to safely carry in Peru. If the OP's father had answered the tree/bumblebee question with "a bicycle, because a vest has no sleeves!" or showed an inability to maintain concentration in order to answer more than a few questions then the results would have been different. Persons who fail the serial 7s question usually get serial 3s next, as in count backwards from xx to yy by 3s. No single question disqualifies you, the doc is developing a diagnosis, if any, and a global assessment of functioning (GAF) based on many factors.

In other words, subtracting wrong or not believing a tree is alive will not cost somebody their rights, assuming the other results were pretty typical. It's not a trick question to trip people up, there is a wide range of acceptable answers that provide an idea of how that person functions in general.

Just thought I'd clarify.

gp911

 

[neviander]

I was thinking bees and trees are both in the air....??

 

[Jdude]

My mom taught me about the trees and the bees. You have to plant a bee in the back yard and it grows into a tree. When the tree is in an increment of exactly 100-(7*N) feet tall, it grows apples. Storks are tired of eating bananas in the tropics and so they come to eat the apples. They bring babies with them as thanks.
My wife insists that babies happens a different way... but I'll trust my mom on this one. She has had a baby before. Besides, my wife wants me to do something really gross. I gotta call mom and ask if it is okay.

Can i have my gun now?

 

[Jdude]

Sheesh, I post a funny and the thread dies.

Perhaps this will help? Please apply these to the previous post.

 

[4sooth]

Psych Test

A friend of mines son went into the Navy to become a diver.After being sent to a school in Maine they underwent a day of psych testing.The answers to two of the questions were given to them so they would not miss these.

Question One--You are the point man on a special ops team.It is vital to the success of the mission that your presence remain undetected.You confront a mother and her six year old daughter on the trail.What should you do?

A.Tie them up and release them after completion of the mission.
B.Obtain a promise of secrecy.
C.Let them go as they are non-combatants.
D.Kill them both immediately.

Question two--Have you ever killed a cat or a dog? Yes/No

The correct answers are D.Kill them both and No.

I have always wondered about the cat or dog question.There was no option to explain the circumstances of the animals death--such as putting down a sick or injured animal.Or accidentally hitting one with your car.

What is the psychology of the cat/dog question/

 

[Evil Monkey]

The best psych test for a permit goes like this:

questioner: Sir, here's question number 1. Do you think the M14 is a great rifle?

applicant: Why yes! It sure...

questioner: YOU GET NOTHING! OUT!!!!

 

[LWGN]

The psychology of the cat or dog question is aimed at screening out people who are trying to get into special forces because they are serial killers and want a supply of victims. Most serial killers start with killing pets and then escalate. The military wants people in the special forces who are willing to kill anyone if the mission requires it, but who do not seek to kill anyone if it is unnecessary. Of course, giving out the "right" answers beforehand pretty much trashes the whole point of testing. IMO, "wrong" answers on the cat/dog question should be followed up to clarify circumstances.