Using the MMPI–2 in Forensic Assessment

This practical guide explains how forensic psychologists can successfully use the MMPI-2 to evaluate clients in various forensic contexts and present results to attorneys and judges.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is one of the most widely researched and used assessment tools in psychology. Forensic psychologists often rely on it to evaluate clients involved in civil and criminal cases. Because the test results can have a significant influence on court decisions, psychologists need to understand how to make full use of the MMPI-2 in forensic settings.

Building on his popular series of MMPI-2 books, James N. Butcher and his coauthors present this guide that is based on decades of research and personal experience. Following a brief overview of the MMPI-2 and its various scales, the authors further explore its applications in various forensic settings, including personal injury and workers’ compensation claims, immigration relief and deportation cases, and criminal investigations. Clear, practical guidelines bolstered by illustrative case examples will help psychologists:

• Understand legal and cultural factors that may influence the assessment process;
• Evaluate neuropsychological issues, such as brain injury;
• Employ computerized interpretations; and
• Present results in testimony and written reports

James N. Butcher, PhD, is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota. His publications include basic research works in abnormal psychology, personality assessment, and the MMPI, including research methodology and computer applications of psychological tests. Dr. Butcher is a coauthor of The MMPI, MMPI–2, & MMPI-A in Court: A Practical Guide for Expert Witnesses and Attorneys, Third Edition, (2006; with K. S. Pope & J. Seelen). Dr. Butcher's forensic testimony, the source of much material included in this book, has been extensive and covers many types of legal cases. His court testimony almost always focuses on the interpretation of MMPI–2 scores. Issues concerning technical aspects of the test, the likely meaning of a particular MMPI configuration, or the assessment of symptom validity are common themes in his court testimony.

Giselle A. Hass, PsyD, is a forensic expert and consultant for local and national family and immigration courts. She is a native of Costa Rica and was a forensic psychologist in her own country before she moved to the United States. She earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University and is licensed both in Virginia and Washington D.C. Dr. Hass is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, Center for Applied Legal Studies; a Forensic Psychologist for the Assessment Center, Washington D.C. Department of Behavioral Health; and a psychologist for the Ainsworth Attachment Clinic, Charlottesville, Virginia. She has coauthored articles and book chapters on assessment, immigration and culture, parenting, and divorce issues.

Roger L. Greene, PhD, is a Distinguished Emeritus in the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University in Palo Alto California. Dr. Greene has worked in a variety of clinical settings and with different types of patients in his clinical career. His particular area of interest clinically is in the assessment and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse. He has written a number of texts and articles on the use of the MMPI–2 both clinically and forensically and has developed computer interpretation programs on both the MMPI–2 and the MMPI–2–RF. His most recent book, The MMPI–2/MMPI–2-RF: An Interpretive Manual (3rd ed.) was published in 2011.

Linda D. Nelson, PhD, has a thriving private practice in Santa Monica, California, where she evaluates and treats patients with neurological and psychiatric problems. She is a qualified medical evaluator for the State of California and is regularly called on to perform independent medical examinations on individuals with suspected head injury. After serving as vice chair of neurology for 16 years at the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Nelson assumed a faculty position at the University of California, Los Angeles. As Professor Emerita, UCLA, she currently conducts research on the link between Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome and maintains an active teaching role in undergraduate neuroscience.