Assessing male batterers with the Personality Assessment Inventory

In this study, we sought to provide empirical data on the utility of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991) for the assessment of male batterers. The sample consisted of 93 men who were court mandated to treatment. In the study, we were able to replicate 2 of 3 clusters (borderline/dysphoric and nonelevated) commonly found in the literature on male batterers; however, we only partially replicated the 3rd cluster (antisocial/narcissistic). This new finding may reflect a difference in the assessment instrument used to assess male batterers (i.e., PAI). In this study, we also investigated a previously understudied subgroup of batterers, specifically, men who engage in positive impression management. In this study, we conclude that the PAI is a potentially useful instrument in assessing male batterers and provide suggestions for future research.