AdultAssessmentTools

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AdultAssessmentTools

Thefollowingisalistofthestandardtoolsusedincompetencyevaluations.
Theseinstrumentsareinadditiontoaclinicalinterviewthatincludesassessmentof
clientscurrentleveloffunctioning.
CST:CompetencyScreeningTest
o Lipsitt,LelosandMcGarry,1971
o Longform=22sentencestems
o Shortform=5sentencestems
o Seriesofshortanswersentencecompletions
o SCREENINGpurposes
CAI:CompetencyAssessmentInstrument
o Harvardgroupconstructedthistest(LipsittandLelos,1970)
o Structuredonehourclinicalinterviewthatexplores
Thoughts,feelingoncopingwithstress
Senseofoptimism
Senseofbeingdiscriminatedagainst
1315differentdimensionsortypesofcompetency
ScoredsimilartotheCST
NormedonNorthCarolinadefendantsw/90%interrateragreement
Validityresearchstillbeingdone
GCCT:GeorgiaCourtCompetencyTest
o DoesnotreallydelveintoMHissuesbutfocusesonbehavioralaspectsof
competency
o 21questionsthatreliablytapintothreedimensions
Generallegalknowledge
Thejobofthejudge
Thejoboflawyers
ECST/ECSTR: EvaluationofCompetencytoStandTrialRevised
o 2002/2004
o Semistructuredinterviewtorateexamineescompetencerelatedabilities
Focuseson casespecificinformation
BasedonDuskystandards
o Scalesfocusedonfactualunderstandingoftheproceedings,rational
understandingoftheproceedingsandrationalabilitytoconsultwith
counsel
o 18itemsandthreescalesthatassessseparatedimensionsofcompetencyto
standtrialuntimed
Factualunderstandingofthecourtroomproceedings
Rationalunderstandingofthecourtroomproceedings
Consultwithcounsel
o 28itemsandfivescalesforatypicalpresentation
Realistic
Psychotic
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Nonpsychotic
Impairment
Bothpsychoticandnonpsychoticcombined
o Embeddedmeasuresofresponsestyle
Systemicscreeningforfeignedincompetencytostandtrial
Probesimpairmentandsymptomologyspecificallygermaneto
competencyissues
FIT:FitnessinterviewTest(orFITR)[IFI/IFIRbyGolding1993]
o 30minuteinterviewintendedtobeadministeredjointlybyamental
healthprofessionandanattorney
o OnlyinstrumentallowedbythelawinCanada
o TheAmericanversionmostoftenbeingtheIFI=Interdisciplinary
FitnessInterview
MacCATCA:MacArthurCompetenceAssessmentToolCriminal
Adjudication
o 25to55minutesCatBtest felonyandmisdemeanordefendants
Mayalsobeusedtoassestreatmentprogresswithrespectto
restorationofcompetency
o BasedonthelegalframeworkgivenbytheU.S.SupremecourtinDusky
v.U.S.
o Assessestheclientsrationalandfactual understandingoftheproceedings
Understandingcapacityforfactualunderstandingofthelegal
systemandadjudicationprocess
Reasoningability
distinguishmorerelevantfromlessrelevantfactual
information
abilitytoreasonabouttwolegaloptions(pleadingguiltyvs
notguilty)
Appreciationcapacitytounderstandclientspersonallegal
situationandcircumstances
o 22itemstructuredinterviewforthepretrialassessmentofadjudicative
competence
MacCATFPMacArthurCompetenceAssessmentToolFitnesstoPlead
o Fitnesstopleadbasedonlegalcompetencycriteria
o 22itemswith16itemsbasedonhypotheticalscenarios
o DividedintoUnderstanding,Reasoning,Appreciation
MacSACCD:MacArthur StructuredAssessmentofCompetenceCriminal
Defendants
o Fitnesstopleadassessmentbasedonlegaldefinitionofcompetency
o Threedomains:
Understanding=abilitytounderstandrelevantaspectsofthe
criminalproceedings
Appreciation=capacity toappreciatetheirlegalpredicaments
Looksatwhetherdelusionalbeliefsorotherpsychoticsx
affecttheirabilitytounderstandthenatureandgravityof
thecriminalproceedings

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Reasoning=abilitytodecidewhatfactsarerelevanttothedefense
ofahypotheticalcase
o OpenendedGuttmanscalequestions
TheGuttmanscaleisusedmostlywhenresearcherswanttodesign
shortquestionnaireswithgooddiscriminatingabilityandworks
bestforconstructsthatarehierarchicalandhighlystructured(i.e.
socialdistance,organizationalhierarchies,andevolutionarystages
o Longform=82differentscenarios
o Shortform=22itemclinicalversion
CADCOMPT:ComputerAssistedDeterminationofCompetencytoProceed
o Asetof272itemsthatsimulatecompetencyevaluation
o Clinicianorcomputeradministered
CASTMR:CompetenceassessmentforStandingTrialMentalRetardation
o Specializedtousewithmildtomoderateretardation
o Late1980s(validationstudiesstillbeingconducted)
MFAST:MillerForensicAssessmentofSymptomsTest
o 25item screening,510minutes
o Briefinterviewformat
o Toestimatethelikelihoodofmalingeringpsychopathology
o CategoryBtest
o Facilitatesrapididentificationofindividualsinneedoffurtherassessment
o InterpretiveInformation
TTLscoreestimateslikelihoodthatrespondentismalingering
psychopathology
MFASTscalescprovidesinformationregardingthenatureofthe
clientsresponsestyles
Helpexplainhowclientattemptingtomalinger
UH,RC,RO,ESconsistentlydifferentiatemalingerers
fromhonestresponders(bothsimulatorsand
known/suspectedmalingerers)
Responsestoindividualitemsprovideinterpretiveinformation
o 7scales(identifyclientsattemptingtofeignpsychology)
Reportedvs.Observed(symptoms)(RO)
ExtremeSymptomatology(ES)
RareCombinations(RC)
UnusualHallucinations(UH)
UnusualSymptomCourse(USC)
Negativeimage(NI)
Suggestibility(ES)
TOMM:TestofMemoryMalingering
o Visualrecognitiontest
o 50singlepicturespresentedtwicetakesapprox 1525minutesCatA
test
Goodfacevalidity overothertestsofmalingering
o Helpdiscriminatebetweenindividualswithtruememoryimpairmentsand
malingerers

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Explicitfeedbacktopatientsonresponsecorrectnessaftereachitemhas
beenshowntowidenthegapbetweenthescoresofmemoryimpaired
patientsandmalingerers.Nonmalingeringpatientsmayseektoincrease
theirresponseaccuracy,whilemalingersmayadjusttheirperformanceto
respondmorepoorlyonsubsequenttrials.(Cutfrom
www.pearsonassessments.com,11/17/2006)

PCLR:HarePsychopathyChecklistRevised
o CategoryAtest90120minutestoadminister
o Semistructuredinterviewandreviewofcollateraldata
o AssessthedegreeanindividualmatchesprototypicalpsychopathsORto
helpidentifyanddiagnosepsychopaths
MMPI:MinnesotaMultiphasicPersonalityInventory
ThetentraitscalesontheMMPI2are:
Scale1Hypochondriasis
Neuroticconcernoverbodilyfunctioning.
Scale2Depression
Poormorale,lackofhopeinthefuture,andageneraldissatisfactionwithone's
ownlifesituation.Highscoresareclinicaldepressionwhilstlowerscoresare
moregeneralunhappinesswithlife.
Scale3Hysteria
Hystericalreactiontostressfulsituations.Oftenhave'normal'facadeandthengo
topieceswhenfacedwitha'trigger'levelofstress.Peoplewhotendtoscore
higherincludebrighter,bettereducatedandfromhighersocialclasses.Women
scorehighertoo.
Scale4PsychopathicDeviation
Measuressocialdeviation,lackofacceptanceofauthority,amorality.Adolescents
tendtoscorehigher.
Scale5MasculinityFemininity
Thisscalewasoriginallydevelopedtoidentifyhomosexuals,butdidnotdoso
accurately.Instead,itisusedtomeasurehowstronglyanindividualidentifies
withthetraditional(pre1960's)masculineorfemininerole.Mentendtoget
higherscores.Itisalsorelatedtointelligence,education,andsocioeconomic
status.
Scale6Paranoia
Paranoidsymptomssuchasideasofreference,feelingsofpersecution,grandiose
selfconcepts,suspiciousness,excessivesensitivity,andrigidopinionsand
attitudes.
Scale7Psychasthenia
Originallycharacterizedbyexcessivedoubts,compulsions,obsessions,and
unreasonablefears,itnowindicatesconditionssuchasObsessiveCompulsive
Disorder(OCD).Italsoshowsabnormalfears,selfcriticism,difficultiesin
concentration,andguiltfeelings.
Scale8Schizophrenia
Assessesawidevarietyofcontentareas,includingbizarrethoughtprocessesand
peculiarperceptions,socialalienation,poorfamilialrelationships,difficultiesin
concentrationandimpulsecontrol,lackofdeepinterests,disturbingquestionsof
selfworthandselfidentity,andsexualdifficulties.
Scale9Hypomania
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Testsforelevatedmood,acceleratedspeechandmotoractivity,irritability,flight
ofideas,andbriefperiodsofdepression.
Scale0SocialIntroversion
Testsforaperson'stendencytowithdrawfromsocialcontactsand
responsibilities.
TheauthorsalsodevelopedfourValidityScalestodetect"devianttesttakingattitudes"
andgaugetheaccuracyoftheotherscales.
The"CannotSay"scale
Thisisthesimplefrequencyofthenumberofitemsomittedormarkedbothtrue
andfalse.Largenumbersofmissingitemscallthescoresonallotherscalesinto
question.
TheLscale
Originallycalledthe"Lie"scale,thiswasanattempttoassessnaiveor
unsophisticatedattemptsbypeopletopresentthemselvesinanoverlyfavorable
light.Theseitemswererationallyderivedratherthancriterionkeyed.
TheFscale
Thisisadeviant,orrareresponsescale.Theapproachwastolookatitemswhich
arerarelyendorsedbynormalpeople.Iflessthan10percentofthenormals
endorsetheitem,butyoudo,yourFcountgoesup."Alllawsshouldbe
eliminated."
TheKscale
Thisscalewasanattempttoassessmoresubtledistortionofresponse,particularly
clinicallydefensiveresponse.TheKscalewasconstructedbycomparingthe
responsesofagroup ofpeoplewhowereknowntobeclinicallydeviantbutwho
producednormalMMPIprofileswithagroupofnormalpeoplewhoproduced
normalMMPIprofiles(noevidenceofpsychopathologyinboth).TheKscale
wassubsequentlyusedtoalterscoresonotherMMPIscales.Itwasreasonedthat
highKpeoplegivescoresonotherscaleswhicharetoolow.Kisusedtoadjust
thescoresonotherscales.Kcorrectedanduncorrectedscoresareavailablewhen
thetestresultsareinterpreted.
Thereareadditionalvalidityscalesdevelopedviaresearchandincorporatedinto
computerscoringservices(whetherusedinofficeorsenttoaserviceforscoring).
PersonalityAssessmentInventory
o Selfadministered344items,22nonoverlappingfullscales
Assessmentofadultpsychopathology
o 5060minutestoadminister1520minutestoscore
o Usedwith adults/elderadults
MyersBriggs
o 93forcedchoicequestions30minutes
o FitintotheBigFivepersonalitytraits(neuroticism,extraversion,
agreeableness,conscientiousness,opennesstoexperience).
o IntrovertandExtravert
o Sensingandintuition

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o ThinkingandFeeling
o Judgingandperceiving
_____________________________________________________________________
AppliedPsychologyinCriminalJustice,2006,2(3)indicatedthefollowingasa
clinicalreportformat.
IdentifyingInformation/ReferralQuestions/Notification
RelevantHistory
SocialandFamilyHistory
EducationalHistory
EmploymentHistory
Medicalhistory
MentalhealthandSubstanceUseHistory
LegalHistory
MentalStatus/CurrentClinicalFunctioning
CompetencetoProceed
AppreciationofchargesandAllegations
AppreciationoftheRangeandNatureofPossiblePenalties
UnderstandingofthelegalprocessanditsAdversaryNature
CapacitytoWorkwithAttorneyandProvideRelevantinformation
AbilitytoManifestAppropriateCourtroomBehavior
AbilitytoTestifyRelevantly
OpinionRegardingCompetencetoProceedandneedforTreatment/Restoration
Theseelementswillbepartofreportssubmittedbymentalhealthclinicianswho
assisttheOPD.Iwillbedevelopingaformthatwillincludethesespecific
competencyrelatedelements.

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