Personality Testing and Risk Assessment

Personality assessment includes techniques that are used to describe or make inferences about characteristic traits of an individual. A personality test is used to diagnose psychological problems and/or to screen candidates for various employment positions or their suitability for a specific occupation/task. It aims to measure various aspects of someone’s personality and behaviours such as interpersonal skills, values, temperament, what drives someone to succeed and so on.

Forensic risk assessments are commonly used in the court system to inform decisions about bail, sentencing, and release from custody. These assessments are also used in institutional settings, such as prisons and mental health facilities, to inform decisions about treatment, security, and release. They typically involve the use of structured professional judgment, where an assessor uses a combination of information from multiple sources, such as an individual's criminal history, mental health history, and current behaviour, to estimate the likelihood of future harm.

This training will cover the history and current state of personality and risk assessment, including the legal and ethical considerations as well as issues related to confidentiality, informed consent, and expert testimony, the importance of using structured professional judgment, and the role of assessments in the criminal justice system.

Participants will be introduced to a variety of personality and risk assessment tools, such as the MMPI, 16PF, HEXACO, HCR-20, VRAG, and SVR-20, and will learn about their strengths and limitations. The course will also cover unique considerations for assessing personality and risk in specific populations, such as sex offenders, individuals with serious mental illness, and so on as well as considerations for assessing personality and risk in institutional settings, such as police, prisons and mental health facilities, and the importance of ongoing monitoring and review.

Lastly, the steps involved in developing an assessment protocol, including selecting the appropriate tools, gathering relevant information, and making decisions and the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of assessment protocols and strategies for evaluating their accuracy and validity will also be covered.

COURSE CONTENT

• Understanding personality
• Personality theories
• Consistency of personality
• Understanding risk
• Overview of personality and (forensic) risk assessment tools
• Types of personality and risk assessments
• Static and dynamic risk factors
• Overview of commonly used personality and risk assessment tools
• Personality and risk assessment in specific populations
• Personality and risk assessment in institutional settings
• Legal and ethical considerations
• Developing an assessment protocol
• Implementation and ongoing monitoring
• Evaluation of assessment protocols
• Practical application of personality and risk assessment tools

ASSESSMENT

Participants will be required to conduct a personality and risk assessment on a case study and present it in groups.



CERTIFICATIONS

Participants will receive British Psychological Society Approved Certificate of Completion in Personality and Risk Assessment.

COURSE INSTRUCTORS