Idiographic use of the MMPI-2 in the assessment of dangerousness among incarcerated felons

Assessing dangerousness is an essential task for mental health workers in c orrectional facilities. The original Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inve ntory (MMPI) and its variant the MMPI-2, appear to be among the most popula r psychological tests in such settings. Two approaches to test data can be used when assessing dangerousness: an actuarial or statistical approach, an d an idiographic or clinical approach. This article explores the potential for an idiographic use of the MMPI for risk assessment. Professional litera ture has emphasized the inadequacies of clinical approaches, whereas more a ctuarial or statistical approaches have been seen as preferable. This artic le illustrates through case examples how combining idiographic data with st atistically based interpretations of MMPI scores can enhance clinical judgm ent. It is argued that the individual context enriches and changes the mean ing of test scores. Integrating actuarial and idiographic approaches can as sist in a more accurate and complete understanding of a felon's dangerousne ss.