NCJ Number
210011
Journal
Judicature Volume: 88 Issue: 5 Dated: March-April 2005 Pages: 225-227
Date Published
March 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article explains some of the procedures that death-row psychologists use to conduct psychological evaluations of persons who have been or might be given a death sentence.
Abstract
The most widely used technique is the case history, which requires access to various information sources, including school and medical records. A case history can also provide important family information. The diagnostic interview is another approach that provides useful information. It consists of a direct face-to-face session during which the psychologist asks the client about key life areas. It typically focuses on issues related to the current problem. Psychological tests constitute another valuable evaluation tool. The author profiles the ones that he uses, namely the Bender-Gestalt, which tests visual-motor functioning and provides clues about aspects of the person's neurological functioning; the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Revised or III, which measures intelligence; the MMPI-2, which provides diagnostic information regarding severity of depression, mood swings, and paranoid tendencies; the MCMI-III, which provides important information on basic personality characteristics; the Rorschach Ink Blot, which provides information on functioning, self-concept, depression level, self-control systems, contact with reality, and patterns of relating to others; and the Thematic Apperception Test, which can assist persons in talking about their families and their relationships with other people.