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Paulino M, Edens JF, Moniz M, Moura O, Rijo D, Simões MR. Personality assessment inventory (PAI) in forensic and correctional settings: A comprehensive review. J Forensic Leg Med 2024; 103:102661. [PMID: 38461694 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
As Forensic Psychology continues to expand as an independent field, professionals regularly resort to psychological assessment tools to assess people involved within the justice system. The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is a 344-item, self-report inventory that aims to provide meaningful information for diagnosis and clinical decision-making, specifically relating to psychopathology, personality, and psychosocial environment. Its applicability in forensic settings has been increasingly recognized on account of its benefits in comparison to other self-report inventories (e.g., MMPI-2, MCMI-III), since it includes scales that are relevant to forensic settings (e.g., violence risk levels, psychopathy, substance abuse), and the existence of profile distortion indicators is useful when dealing with highly defensive and/or malingering populations. The goal of this paper is to conduct a thorough review of the PAI's utility in forensic settings, by focusing on the relevant forensic constructs assessed by the PAI (e.g., personality disorders, psychosis, substance abuse, aggression, recidivism risk, and response distortion), as well as its application to offender and inmate populations, intimate partner violence contexts, family law cases, and forensic professionals. Overall, the PAI continues to gather international recognition and its relevance and usefulness in forensic settings is generally accepted and acknowledged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Paulino
- Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal; Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics Laboratory, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - John F Edens
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, Portugal
| | - Mariana Moniz
- Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal; Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics Laboratory, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Octávio Moura
- Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal; Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics Laboratory, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniel Rijo
- Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mário R Simões
- Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal; Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics Laboratory, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000-115, Coimbra, Portugal
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Meaux L, Cox J, Edens JF, DeMatteo D, Martinez A, Bownes E. The Personality Assessment Inventory in U.S. Case Law: A Survey and Examination of Relevance to Legal Proceedings. J Pers Assess 2021; 104:179-191. [PMID: 34506220 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2021.1975723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), a popular measure of personality, psychopathology, and interpersonal functioning, has demonstrated utility to address various psycholegal questions. This case law review examines a large sample of randomly selected published U.S. case law decisions to ascertain how the PAI has been applied and considered by legal decision makers. The review indicates the instrument is popular in criminal and civil legal settings, particularly in preadjudication forensic mental health evaluations (e.g., competency to proceed) and cases considering social security disability benefits. Forensic evaluators and legal actors primarily consider the results of the PAI as indicators of examinee impression management, psychopathology, and interpersonal functioning, although this varied by psycholegal context. The admissibility of the instrument was rarely challenged, although some challenges to the forensic evaluator's interpretation and conclusions emerged. Despite the PAI's popularity, the utility of the instrument is determined by specific, empirically supported, contexts. As such, forensic evaluators must consider how the PAI may inform decision making given examinee characteristics and the psycholegal question.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John F Edens
- Psychology and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University
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Parker AJ, Mulay AL, Gottfried ED. The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI): Treatment Scales and Interpersonal Characteristics in a Sample of Men Charged with or Convicted of a Sexual Offense. J Forensic Sci 2020; 65:2050-2057. [PMID: 32692443 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
An individual's interpersonal features are pertinent to treatment within clinical populations. The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) contains two scales that assess the interpersonal features of warmth (WRM) and dominance (DOM), as well as two additional measures to assess to treatment prediction, process, and rejection (RXR; TPI). The current study examined associations between these PAI scales in a sample of 92 men who underwent comprehensive evaluations of sexual behavior after being charged with or convicted of a sexual offense. Analyses indicated that RXR was positively associated with WRM and DOM, TPI was negatively associated with WRM, and the two interpersonal scales of WRM and DOM were positively correlated with each other. A significant inverse relationship was found between the two treatment scales RXR and TPI indicating that motivation for treatment may have a limited relationship with the treatment process. WRM significantly predicted scores on the TPI, and both WRM and DOM predicted individual scores on RXR. Higher scores on positive impression management (PIM) were predictive of lower TPI and higher RXR, as individuals with higher stakes cases may score higher on PIM and underreport obstacles within treatment or be unwilling to accept the need for treatment. Overall, findings suggest that interpersonal characteristics identified by the PAI scales may be advantageous in approaching treatment within this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alden J Parker
- Community and Public Safety Psychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Ave Suite 419, Charleston, SC, 29425.,Clemson University, 105 Sikes Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634
| | - Abby L Mulay
- Community and Public Safety Psychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Ave Suite 419, Charleston, SC, 29425
| | - Emily D Gottfried
- Community and Public Safety Psychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Ave Suite 419, Charleston, SC, 29425
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Yoxall J, Bahr M, O'Neill T. Faking Bad in Workers Compensation Psychological Assessments: Elevation Rates of Negative Distortion Scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory in an Australian Sample. PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND LAW : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW 2017; 24:682-693. [PMID: 31983982 PMCID: PMC6820062 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2017.1291295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The workers compensation system provides a clear external incentive for deliberate feigning of physical or mental illness to some individuals. Although it has been asserted that all pre-liability workers compensation psychological assessments should involve assessment of deliberate feigning, the lack of an agreed standard for assessing this response style creates a substantial challenge in practice. Over the last two decades, substantial attention has been given to measures of psychopathology that also include validated negative distortion indices. The Personality Assessment Inventory) has been validated in both the clinical and forensic population, and is reportedly used by many Australian psychologists. This study explores rates of elevation of negative distortion scales on the PAI as a potential indicator of deliberate feigning in a large Australian workers compensation sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Yoxall
- School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern
Cross University, Coolangatta, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark Bahr
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Society and
Design, Bond University, QLD, Australia
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Brown KP, Iannelli RJ, Marganoff DP. Use of the Personality Assessment Inventory in Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations of Physicians. J Pers Assess 2016; 99:465-471. [PMID: 27997225 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2016.1255950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study provides normative data regarding the use of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in physician fitness-for-duty evaluations. Information was derived from a sample of 371 physicians who took the PAI as part of a comprehensive fitness-for-duty evaluation. A multidisciplinary evaluation team, not blinded to psychological testing results, recommended whether or not each physician was fit to practice, allowing for the differentiation of results by this finding. The majority of PAI protocols were valid and interpretively useful. Descriptive statistics are presented for validity, clinical, treatment, interpersonal, and subscale scores. Mean differences for those found fit versus unfit to practice are also presented. Significant elevations for clinical scales are rare in physicians referred for fitness-for-duty evaluations. Although mean differences were small between the fit and unfit groups, there were significant mean differences found. Guidance is offered for interpreting the PAI in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly P Brown
- a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Vanderbilt University
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Penson BN, Ruchensky JR, Morey LC, Edens JF. Using the Personality Assessment Inventory Antisocial and Borderline Features Scales to Predict Behavior Change: A Multisite Longitudinal Study of Youthful Offenders. Assessment 2016; 25:858-866. [PMID: 27884933 DOI: 10.1177/1073191116680292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A substantial amount of research has examined the developmental trajectory of antisocial behavior and, in particular, the relationship between antisocial behavior and maladaptive personality traits. However, research typically has not controlled for previous behavior (e.g., past violence) when examining the utility of personality measures, such as self-report scales of antisocial and borderline traits, in predicting future behavior (e.g., subsequent violence). Examination of the potential interactive effects of measures of both antisocial and borderline traits also is relatively rare in longitudinal research predicting adverse outcomes. The current study utilizes a large sample of youthful offenders ( N = 1,354) from the Pathways to Desistance project to examine the separate effects of the Personality Assessment Inventory Antisocial Features (ANT) and Borderline Features (BOR) scales in predicting future offending behavior as well as trends in other negative outcomes (e.g., substance abuse, violence, employment difficulties) over a 1-year follow-up period. In addition, an ANT × BOR interaction term was created to explore the predictive effects of secondary psychopathy. ANT and BOR both explained unique variance in the prediction of various negative outcomes even after controlling for past indicators of those same behaviors during the preceding year.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John F Edens
- 1 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Structured Psychological Assessment in Evaluations of Sexual Offenders: Nature and Applications. SEXUAL OFFENDING 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2416-5_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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Hoberman HM, Jackson RL. Forensic Evaluations of Sexual Offenders: Principles and Practices for Almost All Sexual Offender Appraisals. SEXUAL OFFENDING 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2416-5_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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Harper JM, Schmidt F, Cuttress LJ, Mazmanian D. An Examination of Positive Impression Management Validity Scales in the Context of Parenting Capacity Assessments. JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICE 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/15228932.2014.890482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Nikolova NL, Hendry MC, Douglas KS, Edens JF, Lilienfeld SO. The inconsistency of inconsistency scales: a comparison of two widely used measures. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2012; 30:16-27. [PMID: 22298127 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.1996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
This study compared the inconsistent responding validity scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI)/PPI-Revised (PPI-R) in two correctional samples to determine the extent to which they overlap in identifying invalid profiles. Results revealed substantial differences in the way the inconsistent responding validity scales of these measures performed. In particular, the PAI identified far fewer participants as having responded inconsistently compared with the PPI/PPI-R. We discuss the implications of our findings for clinical practice, and potential concerns with the use of a single measure to identify inconsistent responding in clinical practice and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia L Nikolova
- Mental Health, Law and Policy Institute, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
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A critical review of objective personality inventories with sex offenders. J Clin Psychol 2010; 66:1254-80. [DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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