Courts sometimes seek psychological testing on defendants. They believe it can help when assessing various things, such as whether a person is fit to stand trial, whether they should stand trial in a juvenile or adult court and what kind of sentence they should receive if found guilty of an offense.
The problem is that the accuracy of many of these tests is questionable.
In 2020 a team of researchers assessed 364 psychological assessment tools that had previously been used in legal cases and then carried out further investigations into 30 of them. The results are worrying, considering the effect the results of a particular test could have on a defendant’s life.
Evidence is lacking on the effectiveness of these tools
The researchers found that of the 364 tests used, only 67% were considered generally acceptable. Only 40% had generally positive reviews from authoritative sources. Furthermore, it was unclear how effective those assessments of the tools actually were.
Courts might not question these testing tools enough
The research team found that challenges to the results produced by the tools were few and far between. If a psychologist gives an opinion about a defendant to a court, those listening may be too quick to assume that the assessment is correct, without possessing any real understanding of the tools the psychologist used to make that assessment. They might not realize that the tools are not necessarily that accurate.
There are many things to consider if facing criminal charges, including challenging any tests used. Learning more about these options is wise if you are in this situation.