Psychological testing in child custody evaluations,Used

A focused look at the usesand misusesof psychological tests in the context of child custodyThis book presents an advanced examination of psychological testing and usage in the child custody arena. It addresses test selection issues, provides insightful discussions of how to confront confirmatory biases and avoid the distortion of test findings, and presents clear instructions for the use of specific tests, including MMPI2 and Rorschach, and a point/counterpoint discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the AckermanSchoendorf Scales for Parent Evaluation of Custody (ASPECT).Psychological Testing in Child Custody Evaluations can be viewed as a work in three parts. The first section addresses theoretical and test usage issues, with chapters focusing on: addressing test selection issues from legal and psychological perspectivesbias issues that interfere with the evaluators ability to collect and consider data objectivelya functional, comprehensive approach to the use of psychological tests in a child custody evaluationwith a conceptual framework for choosing assessment techniques to assess parenting competencies and other variables important in forming opinions about custodial placement and visitation access, and a practical example of how to present psychological test data in an advisory report to the courta look at psychological testing from an attorneys point of viewThe second section of Psychological Testing in Child Custody Evaluations focuses on the MMPI2 and the Rorschach Inkblot Test in the child custody context, investigating hypotheses that can be inferred from the MMPI2 regarding parenting behaviors, and the use and value of the Rorschach. This section examines: the foundation from which the MMPI2 can generate expectations regarding five basic issuesthe quality of attachment and bonding, potential for antisocial behavior, temper control, alienation of affection, and chemical abuse and dependencethe range of variables that will generate useful hypotheses regarding parentchild interactions and family systemsthe effects of the circumstances of litigation on score elevationsincluding recommended limits as to how much elevation can be dismissed as only contextualthe important differences between occasion validity and attribute validitythe clinical application of an objective interpretation system, including the courtroom credibility of explicit convergent validitythe use of the Rorschach in child custody evaluationsfindings from a study using the Rorschach to address specific parenting variablesThe third section of Psychological Testing in Child Custody Evaluations is a focused pointcounterpoint discussion of ASPECT, between test creator Marc J. Ackerman and Mary Connell, President of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. This book is essential reading for child custody evaluators, family law attorneys, and judges practicing in the family law arena, as well as educators and students in these fields.