NCJ Number
160693
Date Published
1995
Length
31 pages
Annotation
The utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2 and MMPI-A) in child custody evaluations is examined, and legal parameters of child custody decisionmaking and court treatment of the MMPI are discussed.
Abstract
The MMPI is the psychological assessment instrument most often used in child custody evaluations, and a review of the legal underpinnings of the child custody decisionmaking process provides ample support for circumscribed use of the MMPI. There is a clear research base that documents the ability of the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-A to identify and describe the emotional adjustment of parents and adolescent children involved in the divorce and custody decisionmaking process. Similarly, research literature documenting the MMPI's ability to assess test-taking sets of examinees is well established. The literature examining the relationship between particular MMPI profiles and scale elevations and specific parenting styles, however, is limited, and use of the MMPI in this area presents the greatest potential for error. Evaluators who use the MMPI to predict or describe parenting styles or to predict how a child may be affected by particular behavior patterns should identify any inferences made as part of the evaluation process. MMPI research exploring the effects of divorce on adults and adolescent children can provide valuable information about the effects of divorce on families and on the MMPI's utility in making decisions about the custody and living arrangements of children. 84 references, 13 notes, 1 table, and 2 figures