Computer-assisted psychological evaluation as legal evidence: Some day my prints will come

摘要

The status of computer-assisted psychological evaluation as legal evidence is inseparable from the general status of psychological evaluation. We review legal criteria for expertise and clinical psychology's problems meeting these standards. Factors that impede reliable and valid psychological evaluation are described, including problematic judgment practices and constraints in the capacity to manage complex data. Although computer-assisted psychological evaluation might circumvent or attenuate factors that limit clinical judgment accuracy, such possibilities largely await development. The limited research on the equivalence of standard and computerized testing formats and on the validity of computer-based test interpretations are critical problems. Most available validation research examines the match between computerized interpretations and clinicians' appraisals that themselves lack demonstrated accuracy or external validity. Almost no research examines facets of incremental validity that could help clinicians select programs or integrate computerized interpretations with other data sources or clinical interpretations. The clinician who relies on computer assistance may thus be even more vulnerable in the courtroom than the clinician who uses no such aids.