Using the MMPI-2 in Forensic Assessment

by James N. Butcher, Giselle A. Hass, Roger L. Greene

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is one of the most widely researched and used assessment tools in psychology. Forensic psychologists often rely on it to evaluate clients involved in civil and criminal cases. Because the test results can have a significant influence on court decisions, psychologists need to understand how to make full use of the MMPI-2 in forensic settings. Building on his popular series of MMPI-2 books, James Butcher and his coauthors present this guide that is based on decades of research and personal experience. Following a brief overview of the MMPI-2 and its various scales, the authors further explore its applications in various forensic settings, including personal injury and workers compensation claims, immigration relief and deportation cases, and criminal investigations. Clear, practical guidelines bolstered by illustrative case examples will help psychologists understand legal and cultural factors that may influence the assessment process; evaluate neuropsychological issues, such as brain injury; employ computerized interpretations; and present results in testimony and written reports.

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2015

About the author

James N Butcher is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Butcher received his graduate training at the University of North Carolina and served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota for over 40 years. He has written more than 50 books and 175 articles on the MMPI®, MMPI®-2, and MMPI-A, including Essentials of MMPI-2 and MMPI-A Interpretation (with Dr Carolyn Williams), published in 2000 by the University of Minnesota Press. He was instrumental in identifying the need for a revision of the MMPI, which resulted in the MMPI Restandardization Project conducted during the 1980s and 1990s.

More recently, Dr. Butcher co-authored two books published by the American Psychological Association: Assessing Hispanic Clients Using the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A (with Jose Cabiya, Emilia Lucio and Maria Garrido, 2007) and the third edition of The MMPI/MMPI-2/MMPI-A in Court (with Ken Pope and Joyce Seelen, 2006). Butcher and 25 colleagues from around the world used the Adolescent Interpretive System of the Minnesota Report to develop International Case Studies on the MMPI-A: An Objective Approach. This casebook illustrates the use of the Minnesota Report with adolescents in 15 countries outside the United States.