Profiling psychological distortion in alleged child molesters

Sex offenders frequently show denial and distortion during forensic psychological evaluations, but research into assessment of rationalizations and cognitive distortions among sex offenders has been limited. We examined patterns of psychological distortion in 59 alleged child molesters. We compared fake-good and fake-bad orientations on the MMPI with psychological distortion on the Multiphasic Sex Inventory questionnaire which assesses various psychosexual characteristics among sex offenders. Analysis indicated that distortion on the Multiphasic Sex Inventory indices of minimization and exaggeration was significantly associated with response-bias on the MMPI. Cognitive-distortion indices were highly influenced by response-bias. Admitters differed from deniers on scales with items requiring admission or denial of offenses. Caution is warranted in clinical interpretation of the validity scales of this questionnaire, which are of limited utility for deniers. Subtle items on cognitive-distortion indices may be useful in assessment of those who deny and should be subjected to further research.