Abstract
The valid use of any psychological test is specified by the constraints under which that instrument was developed. Typically, a test is assumed to be valid for some specific population, for a particular setting, and for well-defined areas of application. Violation of any of these conditions may constitute misapplication or even serious abuse of a test, rendering it invalid; e.g., tests developed for clinical assessment may be invalid for criminological applications. The paper examines these issues. The MMPI provides the prototype example for the discussion. The logical and historical development of the test is traced. Typical abuses found in forensic applications are identified and discussed and suggestions for remedying these are offered.
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