Such studies indicate that, on average, parents who are evaluated in the context of custody litigation obtain modestly elevated scores, ranging from one half to 1 standard deviation above the mean score of 50 on the standard validity scales designed to assess under-reporting (Scales L, K, and S). Over the past two decades, several published studies reported descriptive data on the MMPI-2in parents involved in child custody litigation.
These issues may include regulation of emotions, impulse control, the presence of severe depressive or anxiety symptoms, paranoid delusions, problems with misuse of alcohol or other substances, severe narcissistic qualities, and antisocial behavior, as well as the assessment of how stress might be impacting the parent’s relationship with the child. However, as one component of a CCE, standardized, validated psychological tests such as the MMPI-2 may be very useful in the assessment of personality qualities and psychopathology that may be relevant to issues in the realm of parenting. The use of personality testing of parents does not permit direct inferences about parenting behavior, and there is no MMPI-2 profile of a good vs. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) has been identified in surveys of forensic psychologists as the most frequently used test in forensic assessment of adults, and in the assessment of parents in CCE’s, and as receiving the highest ratings in meeting Daubert criteria among tests, techniques, and inventories used in CCE’s. These procedures generally include clinical interviews of each parent, observations or interviews of the children, parent-child observation or interview, collateral interview of relevant third parties, extensive review of relevant documentation, and, in some cases home visits and, most psychologists who conduct CCE’s administer standardized, objective self-report personality assessment measures. The American Psychological Association Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation, recommend the use of a multi trait/multi method assessment procedure in child custody evaluations (CCE’s). The custody evaluator is advised to use caution when interpreting clinically elevated scores on the MMPI-2. In contrast, other parents may respond to the test in a more defensive and deceptive manner resulting in a "normal" clinical profile, which may be specific to the evaluation context, but may also reflect moral righteousness and a more insidious tactic.
At least some of these parents are not mistrustful in general and are not inclined to model or influence their children toward the development of mistrust. Based on these considerations, this writer suggests that custody evaluators may encounter the paradox that some parents whose clinical profile suggests mistrust and suspiciousness in interpersonal relations may actually trust enough to report their perceptions in a candid and forthcoming manner.
This paper examines the significance of clinically elevated scores on Scale 6 (and RC6) in parents undergoing CCE's, with consideration of both contextual and psychometric features.
Also, on average, Clinical Scale 6 (Paranoia) and its counterpart on the Restructured Clinical Scales, RC6, have been the most frequently elevated of the clinical scales on the MMPI-2 in samples of child custody litigants, albeit, the reported scores on these scales are well within the norm. Studies of parents who completed the MMPI-2 in the CCE context have consistently found that, on average, parents portray a very favorable image of themselves as both virtuous and psychologically well-adjusted. The MMPI-2 is the most frequently used psychological test with parents undergoing child custody evaluations (CCE's).
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