MMPI‐2 and 16PF‐5 Personality Traits of Parents Involved in Personality Assessment

• Author: Micaela M. Zucchelli,Elisa Gambetti,Raffaella Nori,Fiorella Giusberti
• Date: 01 June 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12166
• Published date: 01 June 2020

MMPI-2 and 16PF-5 Personality Traits of Parents

Involved in Personality Assessment

By Elisa Gambetti, Micaela M. Zucchelli, Raffaella Nori, and Fiorella Giusberti

ABSTRACT

The present study focused on both the MMPI-2 scales and the 16PF-5 primary

and global factors, involving 213 individuals who were court-ordered to undergo a

personality assessment in neglect and/or abuse cases. Results showed a defensive

approach to the assessment and specific psychological characteristics indicated by

moderate range elevations in the MMPI-2 clinical scales 4and 6and in the 16PF-5

Tough-Mindedness, and high scores of 16PF-5 Self-Control associated with low

scores of PSY-5 Disconstraint. Finally, this study revealed strong associations

between MMPI-2 PSY-5 and 16PF-5 global factors, offering a detailed picture of

psychological functioning.

Key words: MMPI-2, 16PF-5, personality assessment, abuse, neglect, parental rights.

INTRODUCTION

The personality assessment of parents has a crucial role in child protection matters

involving child abuse and/or neglect. It can be used in order to assist legal decision-mak-

ing but also in the tasks of social services (Budd et al., 2001). This kind of assessment is

capable of measuring many of the issues that have been identified by the World Health

Elisa Gambetti is a psychologist and adjunct professor of the University of Bologna, Italy. She is

postdoctoral fellows collaborating at several research projects about forensic psychology. Her research inter-

ests include juror decision-making, personality traits and testing validation. E-mail: e.gambetti@unibo.it

Micaela M. Zucchelli is a psychologist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bologna, Italy.

Her research interests include juror decision-making, personality traits, spatial memory. She maintains

national and international research collaborations. E-mail: micaela.zucchelli3@unibo.it

Raffaella Nori is a researcher and professor of Virtual Reality at the University of Bologna, Italy.

Her most important focus of research includes spatial memory, tests measuring intelligence, eyewitness

memory and juror decision-making. E-mail: raffaella.nori@unibo.it

Fiorella Giusberti is a professor of General Psychology and Forensic Psychology at the University of

Bologna, Italy. Her main focus of research includes cognitive processes, psychology of thinking, legal psy-

chology in both civil and criminal judicial reasoning. E-mail: fiorella.giusberti@unibo.it

Juvenile and Family Court Journal 71, No. 2

©2020 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

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