Abstract

ARBACH, Karin; BARBONI, Lucía  and  MERCURIO, Ezequiel. Psychological assessment practices in legal contexts: A survey to professionals from Latin-America. Cienc. Psicol. [online]. 2024, vol.18, n.1, e3652.  Epub June 01, 2024. ISSN 1688-4094.  https://doi.org/10.22235/cp.v18i1.3652.

This study explores practices of psychological assessment within five frequently researched areas in legal contexts: mental state during the offense, risk of general violence, risk of sexual violence, simulation, and psychological harm. A total of 191 psychologists from 10 Latin American countries who practice within legal domains took part in an online survey. Three key findings emerged from their responses and were consistent across all five assessment areas: a) the predominant use of the interview, followed by multi-scale personality inventories, and projective tests; b) a preference for nonspecific assessment techniques, rather than specific approaches tailored to each area; and c) comparing regions, a preference for projective tests and the Rorschach test in Argentina, followed by other South American countries. In contrast, standardized tests, such as multi-scale personality inventories, clinical scales, and cognitive assessment methods, found favor in Central American regions. The findings are discussed from a comparative perspective, with their academic, technical, and ethical implications.

Keywords : psychological assessment, legal field; mental state; risk of violence; simulation; psychological harm; Latin America.

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