NCJ Number
160685
Date Published
1995
Length
30 pages
Annotation
To fully consider forensic applications of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2), it is important to focus on the reception psychological assessments and the MMPI-2 have received in the legal arena.
Abstract
The use of the MMPI-2 in the legal context is viewed as a threshold matter requiring consideration of the MMPI-2's admissibility in court. If the judge decides to permit a psychologist to testify as an expert, the judge must then decide the probative value of testimony. In criminal cases, the MMPI-2 has generally been admissible and useful in identifying mental illness. Given the utility of the MMPI-2 in identifying symptoms of mental illness, the test has been used to assess an offender's potential mental illness that might result in a stay of execution based on the competency to be executed standard. The MMPI-2 has considerable utility for some forensic applications, but its use in certain situations is questionable. Specific questions concerning the admissibility of expert testimony based on the MMPI-2 and the extent to which the judge or jury finds evidence compelling in arriving at a decision are examined. The legal basis for admitting expert psychological testimony is discussed, with emphasis on the role of psychological testing in expert testimony. The extent to which judges and juries rely on MMPI-2 results to address various legal issues is analyzed, and the legal standing of psychological assessment data in general and the utility of the MMPI-2 in particular are assessed. 43 references, 15 notes, and 3 tables