NCJ Number
246730
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2014 Pages: 138-145
Date Published
April 2014
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article presents the results of research examining the relationship between psychometric test scores and sexual recidivism.
Abstract
This paper highlights research that examined the relationship between psychometric test scores and sexual recidivism. Psychometric testing is used to provide information about an individual's functioning, opinions, beliefs, thoughts, and personality characteristics, and often used in offending behavior treatment programs to measure the risk factors targeted by the programs. Researchers have also used psychometric testing to measure the presence and magnitude of dynamic risk factors for sexual offending. These studies have produced mixed results in determining the ability of psychometric tests to predict reconviction in forensic populations. This paper highlights recent studies that have been conducted in the United Kingdom to determine 1) whether pre-and post-test psychometric test scores could predict recidivism outcomes; 2) whether change on psychometric tests as a result of treatment could predict recidivism outcomes; and 3) whether psychometric test scores could add incremental value to the predictive power of static risk variables. The studies found that pre-treatment psychometric test scores were more predictive than post-treatment scores for a selection of measures, and that change on psychometric test scores was associated with recidivism for a small selection of measures. These and other findings suggest that treatment programs should not rely on large batteries of psychometric tests to determine change in treatment regimens. The findings also suggest that more attention should be given to developing tests that are relevant to dynamic risk factors. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed. References