The use of psychological tests by Australian psychologists who do assessments for the courts

Psychological tests form a central part of most forensic assessments. Howev er, the tests used, and the manner in which they are used, have been critic ised, especially in the United States. In a survey of 79 Australian psychol ogists who do evaluations for the courts, we tried to determine which psych ological tests they use, how frequently they use them, and their reasons fo r using particular tests. Our survey reveals that the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, Rey Complex Figure Test, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inv entory (MMPI) are used most frequently. Notably, 7 of the 10 most frequentl y used instruments were neuropsychological tests. Respondents most frequent ly take into account the "suitability to the situation" and the "psychometr ic properties of the test" when selecting a test. The study demonstrates th at the tests used by forensic psychologists are generally well established in the clinical field, and that psychologists doing assessments for the cou rts must be competent users of neuropsychological tests.