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[Personality tests in forensic psychiatry]
G Hengesch1, M Rösler, W Bellaire
1Institut de Psychologie et de Psychiatrie légales, l'Université de Hombourg, Hombourg/Saar.
Acta Psychiatrica Belgica
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Personality tests offer limited insight into penal responsibility but aid in predicting social and criminal prognosis for forensic subjects. Specific scales proved more valuable than broad personality inventories in this study.
Area of Science:
- Forensic psychology
- Psychometrics
Context:
- Evaluation of forensic subjects often relies on psychological assessments.
- Understanding the utility of personality tests in legal and correctional settings is crucial.
Purpose:
- To assess the contribution of personality tests to the evaluation of penal responsibility.
- To determine the utility of personality tests in predicting social and criminal prognosis.
- To compare the effectiveness of specific scales versus comprehensive inventories.
Summary:
- Personality tests provided minimal value for assessing penal responsibility in 191 forensic subjects.
- Specific scales from personality tests were more effective than comprehensive inventories for prognosis.
- These findings suggest a targeted approach to using psychometric tools in forensic evaluations.
Impact:
- Informs the application of personality assessments in forensic settings.
- Highlights the importance of scale-specific analysis over global scores for predictive accuracy.
- Contributes to refining methodologies for criminal prognosis and offender management.