Assessing male batterers with the Personality Assessment Inventory.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Male batterers often present complex psychological profiles.
• Accurate assessment is crucial for effective treatment interventions.
• The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is a widely used psychological tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) for assessing male batterers.
• To examine the PAI's ability to identify common personality clusters in this population.
• To explore the subgroup of male batterers who engage in positive impression management.

Main Methods:

• The study included 93 male participants mandated to treatment.
• The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) was administered to all participants.
• Statistical analysis was used to identify and replicate personality clusters.

Main Results:

• Two of three previously identified personality clusters (borderline/dysphoric, nonelevated) were replicated.
• The third cluster (antisocial/narcissistic) was only partially replicated.
• The PAI demonstrated potential utility in assessing male batterers, including those managing impressions.

Conclusions:

• The PAI is a potentially valuable instrument for the assessment of male batterers.
• Partial replication of clusters may indicate differences related to the PAI compared to other instruments.
• Further research is needed to refine the PAI's application in this forensic population.