1. Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee
Psychological Testing and Child Custody Evaluations: Consensus & Controversy
Gene Gross, PSYD
Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee
October 4, 2016

2. Three Tests & Three Questions
MMPI-2
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd Edition
MCMI-III
Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, 3rd Edition
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Is the test scientific?
Does the test meet Daubert Standards?
Is the test appropriate in child custody evaluations?

3. MMPI-2: Basics
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd Edition
MMPI Questions:
True or False: I don’t blame people for trying to grab everything they can get in this world.
True or False: I worry quite a bit over possible misfortunes.
True or False: I am very seldom troubled by constipation.

4. MMPI-2: Basics 567 questions, all True or False
Takes one to one and a half hours to complete
Answers to questions statistically predict symptoms
Answers are compared to a normative sample; symptoms reflect deviation from the norm

5. MMPI-2: Basics Clinical Scales Hypochondriasis Depression Hysteria
Psychopathic Deviate
Masculinity-Femininity
Paranoia
Psychasthenia
Schizophrenia
Hypomania
Social Introversion
Symptoms and Issues
Mental Health
Personality Traits
Interpersonal Relationships
Substance Abuse
Random Responding
Exaggeration
Minimization/Defensiveness

6. MMPI-2 Question 1: Scientific? Reliability
Is the test consistent upon retest?
Is the test consistent when given by two different psychologists?
Validity
Does the test measure what it purports to measure?
Consensus: The MMPI-2 is a reliable, valid instrument (Erickson, Lilienfeld, & Vitacco, 2007; Bow, Gould, Flens, & Greenhut, 2006; Groth-Marnat, 2016).

7. MMPI-2 Question 2: Meet Daubert Standards? Four prongs of Daubert:
Can be tested scientifically (Yes)
Subject to peer review and publication (Yes)
Error rate is known and acceptable (Yes)
Obtained general Acceptance (Yes)
One study of custody evaluators found that 95% believed the MMPI-2 met Daubert standards (Bow, et al., 2006).
Consensus: The MMPI-2 meets Daubert Standards (Erickson, et al., 2007; Bow et al., 2006)

8. MMPI-2 Question 3: Appropriate for Child Custody?
Need for a nuanced approach:
Use the Child Custody Litigant Comparison Group
Compare litigants to litigants
Interpret Results Cautiously and in Context
Defensiveness is typical and understandable
“Psychopathic Deviate” scale is sensitive to family and marital conflict
No Direct Parenting Information
Form relevant hypotheses and test them against other information

9. MMPI-2 Question 3: Appropriate for Child Custody?
Parenting and Co-parenting Hypotheses
Does the parent have mental health symptoms?
Connections have been shown between some symptoms and parenting
Does the parent have problems in interpersonal relationships?
Suspicion is relevant, but has to be cautiously interpreted due to the context
Does the parent have high levels of anger, hostility?

10. MMPI-2 Question 3: Appropriate for Child Custody?
Parenting and Co-parenting Hypotheses (continued)
Is the parent emotionally detached?
Does the parent have substance abuse issues?
Is the parent relatively free of mental health issues?
If the profile is not defensive, the MMPI-2 can serve as an excellent broad based screen for mental health issues.

11. MCMI-III: Basics
Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, 3rd Edition
True or False: When I have a choice, I prefer to do things alone.
True or False: Lately, I have begun to feel like smashing things.
True or False: Even in good times, I’ve always been afraid things would soon go bad.

12. MCMI-III: Basics Clinical Personality Pattern Scales (MCMI-IV)
Apathetic – Asocial – Schizoid
Shy – Reticent – Avoidant
Dejected – Forlorn – Melancholic
Deferential – Attached – Dependent
Sociable – Pleasuring – Histrionic
Ebullient – Exuberant – Turbulent*
Confident – Egotistic – Narcissistic
Aggrandizing – Devious– Antisocial
Assertive – Denigrating – Sadistic
Reliable – Constricted – Compulsive
Discontented – Resentful – Negativistic
Abused – Aggrieved - Masochistic

13. MCMI-III Question 1: Scientific? Validity is Debated:
Rogers et al., (1999): MCMI III is unable to predict personality disorders.
methodology of this study criticized, however (Dyer & McCann, 2000)
Several studies in favor of MCMI III validity (see McCann, 2001)
One current textbook: “good reliabilty…excellent validity” (Groth-Marnat, 2016).

14. MCMI-III Question 1: Scientific?
Consensus: Possible “normal” meanings of elevations:
Histrionic elevations: sociability, makes friends easily
Compulsive elevations: rule oriented, hard working, conscientious
Narcissistic elevations: confidence, self-assurance
(McCann, et al., 2001; Groth-Marnat, 2016).

15. MCMI-III Question 1: Scientific?
Elevations may correspond to strong traits, rather than problems or disorders (Groth-Marnat, 2016).
Can a context be found for the trait in the person’s life?

16. MCMI-III Question 2: Meet Daubert Standards? Four prongs of Daubert:
Can be tested scientifically (Yes)
Subject to peer review and publication (Yes)
Error rate is known and acceptable (Debated)
Obtained general acceptance (Wide acceptance)
Underlying theories are incorporated in the the DSM personality disorders = broad acceptance
One study of custody evaluators found that 77% believed the MCMI-III met Daubert standards (Bow, et al., 2006).
Bottom line: Debated with many supporters

17. MCMI-III Question 3: Appropriate for Child Custody?
Need for a nuanced approach:
No Child Custody Litigant Scoring Group
Adjust scores down on Desirability, Histrionic, Compulsive and Narcissistic scales for custody litigants (especially women) (McCann, et al., 2001)
Take context into account
Doesn’t pertain directly to parenting
Form relevant hypotheses and test them against other information

18. Rorschach: Basics 10 ambiguous looking inkblots
Responses to inkblots are said to represent the process by which a test taker makes sense of his environment
Psychologists like the Rorschach because it is less vulnerable to faking and defensiveness

19. Rorschach: Basics
Originally, scores were developed which statistically predicted mental health symptoms
By the 1950’s, five different scoring systems existed
In 1974, Exner published the Comprehensive System, taking aspects from all five systems.

20. Rorschach Question 1: Scientific?
Little support for the Rorschach without the Comprehensive System
Among trained experts, reliability is comparable to the MCMI or the MMPI (Groth-Marnat, 2016)
Validity of the Rorschach has been debated for decades with studies supporting both sides (Groth-Marnat, 2016)

21. Rorschach Question 1: Scientific?
Validity is better for thought and perceptual disorders such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar, and Borderline Personality Disorder compared with Depression and other mental health disorders
Validity increases with a highly trained, experienced evaluator

22. Rorschach Question 2: Meet Daubert Standards? Four prongs of Daubert:
Can be tested scientifically (Yes)
Subject to peer review and publication (Yes and No)
Over half of the studies that the CS relies on and which are mentioned in the test manual have not been published (Erikson, et al., 2007; Groth- Marnat, 2016).
Error rate is known and acceptable (Debated)
Obtained general Acceptance (Equivocal)
54% of custody evaluators surveyed felt that it met Daubert criteria, yet more recommended against its use than for it (Bow, et al., 2006).

23. Rorschach Question 3: Appropriate for Child Custody?
Need for a nuanced approach:
Need for normative information about child custody litigants
Test could over-pathologize: Cautious Interpretation
Not directly about parenting
Need to account for context

24. Rorschach Question 3: Appropriate for Child Custody?
The test could be subject to critique and cross-examination, given the amount of negative research out there.
A psychologist should be well versed is the research that supports the validity of each score and be prepared to defend it in court.