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The plethysmograph reconsidered: comments on Barker and Howell
The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|January 1, 1993
Summary
The penile plethysmograph
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Sex Offender Treatment
Background:
- Review of literature on penile plethysmograph (PPG) reliability and validity in male sex offender assessment.
- Barker and Howell's stance on PPG utility despite acknowledged limitations.
- Critique of PPG's standardization and susceptibility to faking in forensic evaluations.
Discussion:
- Analysis of PPG limitations beyond standardization and faking.
- Examination of PPG's questionable utility in legal and clinical contexts.
- Implications of PPG's unreliability for sex offender evaluations.
Key Insights:
- Penile plethysmograph (PPG) reliability and validity concerns persist.
- Standardization and faking issues significantly impact PPG results.
- Existing literature may overestimate PPG's clinical and legal utility.
Outlook:
- Need for more rigorous validation of PPG in sex offender assessment.
- Caution advised regarding PPG use in forensic and clinical decision-making.
- Further research required to address PPG's methodological challenges.