NCJ Number
181485
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2000 Pages: 70-83
Date Published
February 2000
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article explores the potential for an idiographic use (specific referral question regarding a specific individual) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 (MMPI-2) for risk assessment.
Abstract
Such individualized assessment uses file information, a questionnaire completed by the referral source, and an interview of the referred person in addition to test scores. A series of case studies illuminate the contribution of an idiographic approach to the interpretation of MMPI test scores. The cases illustrate how idiographic data enhance the standardized test interpretation and change the meaning and context of the scores. The study concludes that an idiographic approach to the MMPI-2 can be used in the assessment of dangerousness, enhancing the assessment. Combining the researched test properties with what is known about a patient's behavior and interactions can confirm the clinician's assessment or suggest other, more plausible directions. The information obtained from this approach is fundamentally different from the information gained from a statistical approach. Although it does not provide statistical probabilities, it does enhance the clinical understanding of the case and can generate new ways of understanding the offender. 4 figures and 21 references