JUDGMENT RESEARCH - IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL-PRACTICE AND TESTIMONY IN COURT

When treating a client or testifying in court, clinicians should be aw are of how they make judgments and when their judgments are likely to be correct and when they are likely to be wrong. Research on the valid ity of judgments is reviewed along with research on the cognitive proc esses of clinicians. Some of the results are surprising. For example, recent research indicates that clinicians might be able to make modera tely valid long-term predictions of violence. Finally, recommendations are made for improving clinical judgment, and comments are made about the appropriate use of statistical prediction rules and automated ass essment test reports.