Overview

The APS College (Vic) of Forensic Psychologists are pleased to invite you to an informative workshop delivered by our esteemed colleague, forensic and clinical psychologist, Dr. Michael R Davis.

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is a 344-item self-administered, objective test of personality and psychopathology designed to assist clinicians in the assessment of important constructs related to diagnosis and formulation. It consists of four validity scales, 11 non-overlapping clinical scales, five treatment scales, two interpersonal scales, and a range of supplemental indices. The PAI was initially developed in 1991, with a second edition manual published in 2007, and an updated supplement (the PAI-Plus) published in 2020. The PAI is often used by forensic psychologists. In addition to the breadth of content covered by the instrument, the PAI includes a very strong range of validity scales and indices that are of particular value in forensic settings.

This workshop will provide a thorough overview of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), including administration and interpretation by both hand and computer scoring program. Participants will learn how to use the various validity indices to identify the presence of back-random responding, differentiate between effortful and non-effortful distortion in both positive and negative directions, and how to interpret distorted results using predicted and specific profiles. Each of the clinical, treatment, and interpersonal scales will be discussed in detail, including diagnostic considerations based on configurations of scales and sub-scales. Participants will learn when it is appropriate to utilise the Short Form of the PAI (the PAI-SF) and will become familiar with the Structural Summary Approach to using the PAI. The supplementary indices provided in the new PAI-Plus will be reviewed and participants will be provided with a comprehensive framework for interpreting the PAI, including a range of considerations that are not included in automated scoring reports.

This workshop will be both didactic and interactive, and participants will complete a number of exercises aimed at furthering their understanding of profile validity and appropriate steps to interpreting the PAI. Case studies will be described in order to demonstrate the use of the PAI in the context of forensic clinical assessment and how it can be amalgamated with other test results. Existing users of the PAI are encouraged to attend with questions that arise from their clinical practice. Indeed, while the workshop is aimed towards forensic psychologists, anyone that may use the PAI in their practice will find the information valuable.  

By special arrangement with test distributor Psychological Assessments Australia (PAA), all participants in this workshop will be eligible for a 10 percent discount on PAI manuals and kits, as well as a 10 percent discount for five on-line administrations of the PAI or five interpretive reports.

Refreshments to be provided

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided to the attendees that attend in-person.

Targeted audience

This activity is aimed at psychologists and health professionals.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this event, participants should be able to:

• understand the various aspects of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI),
• learn how to interpret the various validity scales and indices,
• learn how to appropriately interpret the PAI clinical scales when positive or negative distortion is present,
• interpreting the full and sub-scales of the PAI and identifying important configurations of the various scales,
• understand the use of the PAI Short Form (PAI-SF), and
• understand how to utilise the results of the PAI in forensic assessment and how to appropriately amalgamate the results with those of other psychological tests.

Presenter(s)

Dr Michael Davis

About the presenter(s)

Dr Michael Davis is a Consultant Forensic Clinical Psychologist in full-time private practice. He has adjunct appointments at Monash, Melbourne, and Swinburne Universities and is a consultant to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare). Dr Davis’s consulting practice is divided between forensic assessment tasks and providing behavioural investigative advice to police agencies. He has consulted with police in several countries across three continents and serves as an Instructor to the Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI in the United States. Dr Davis has been using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in forensic clinical practice for the past two decades and often lectures on the use of this instrument to doctoral and master’s students. He regularly provides expert evidence in court that includes the use of the PAI and other assessment instruments.

Notes

It is up to attendees in attendance to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle. The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law. If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.