James M Wood

University of Texas at El Paso | UTEP · Department of Psychology

Child victims of maltreatment (abuse or neglect) are at higher risk of delinquency. When children experience both maltreatment and delinquency, they generally face more challenges and experience poorer outcomes across many factors. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the U.S. and have unique cultural and familial considerations. This stud...

Thirty years ago, Dawes, Faust, and Meehl (1989) argued that mental health professionals should routinely use statistical prediction rules to describe and diagnose clients, predict behaviors, and formulate treatment plans. Subsequent research has supported their claim that statistical prediction performs well when compared to clinical judgment. How...

In 2016, the U.S. Congress mandated that federal intelligence interrogators adhere to the methods of the U.S. Army Field Manual FM 2–22.3 (AFM) and that the manual be revised based upon empirically based evaluations of the interrogation methods’ effectiveness with interviewees motivated to withhold information. In the present study, 120 participant...

Screening for public safety positions (e.g., police officers, fire fighters, military service members) is a difficult and challenging task. Notably, the military has been widely criticized because of the general lack of an empirically based system or program for mental health screening. The purpose of the present study is to describe the use of sta...

This article describes the development and psychometric properties of the Rapport Scales for Investigative Interviews and Interrogations, Interviewee Version (RS3i), a multidimensional self-report questionnaire intended to measure interviewees’ experience of rapport in forensic and intelligence interviews. Two studies are described. In Study 1, 80...

To effectively allocate mental health services, agencies must be able to predict what proportion of youth will have a mental disorder. Prevalence estimates are available for juvenile offenders at intake, detained youth, and incarcerated youth, but there is limited research on prevalence of mental disorders for juvenile offenders who are low-risk to...

We comment on The Witch-Hunt Narrative (TWHN) by Cheit. As its first hypothesis, TWHN argues that most of the famous ritual child abuse cases of the 1980s and 1990s were not really witch-hunts at all. In response, we criticize the TWHN definition of a witch-hunt as overly narrow and idiosyncratic. Based on the scholarly literature, we propose 10 cr...

In 1983 a mother suffering from serious mental illness alleged that Raymond Buckey, a teacher at the McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach, California, had molested her 2½-year-old son (Nathan & Snedeker, 2001). The accusations set off a highly publicized investigation and eventually led to the longest-running criminal trial in United States histor...

Prior research on the relation between children's suggestibility and verbal skills has yielded mixed results. This study examined children's suggestibility in a high social pressure context in conjunction with individual differences in verbal ability and social understanding. Sixty-nine children were read a story by a classroom visitor. One week la...

We comment on the meta-analysis by Mihura, Meyer, Dumitrascu, and Bombel (2013), which examined the validity of scores in Exner's Comprehensive System (CS) for the Rorschach. First, we agree there is compelling evidence that 4 categories of cognitive scores-the "Rorschach cognitive quartet"-are related to cognitive ability/impairment and thought di...

Results are presented for suitability screening conducted by the United States Air Force during basic military training. The Lackland Behavioral Questionnaire has been used operationally since 2007, and its use has led to an increase in predictive validity. For the prediction of outcomes during the first 4 years of service, one can identify trainee...

In a study using a classic cognitive dissonance paradigm, 164 undergraduate participants were induced to deceive a fellow student; half were directly instructed to lie whereas the other half were politely requested but not instructed to lie. Participants were assessed for psychopathic traits using the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised: Sho...

It is well established that respondents are much more likely to rate themselves highly on personality questionnaire items with high social desirability (SD) than on items with low SD. However, conflicting explanations have been offered for this phenomenon. In the present study, 286 participants were randomly assigned to four groups that rated 119 i...

Using 65 items from a mental health screening questionnaire, the History Opinion Inventory-Revised (HOI-R), the present study compared three strategies of scale construction-(1) internal (based on factor analysis), (2) external (based on empirical performance) and (3) intuitive (based on clinicians' opinion)-to predict whether 203,595 U.S. Air Forc...

In a recent article in this journal, Poston and Hanson (2010) reported a meta-analysis of 17 studies on the use of psychological assessment as a therapeutic intervention (PATI) and concluded that "psychological assessment procedures--when combined with personalized, collaborative, and highly involving test feedback--have positive, clinically meanin...

This study investigated the internal consistency, factor structure, and concurrent validity of the Social Problem Solving Inventory–Spanish Version for Hispanics (SPSI-R-Hispanic), a translation of the Social Problem Solving Inventory–Revised (SPSI-R; D'Zurilla, Nezu & Maydeu-Olivares, 2002), in a North American sample of 325 Spanish speaking Hispa...

Gacono and Meloy (2009) have concluded that the Rorschach Inkblot Test is a sensitive instrument with which to discriminate psychopaths from nonpsychopaths. We examined the association of psychopathy with 37 Rorschach variables in a meta-analytic review of 173 validity coefficients derived from 22 studies comprising 780 forensic participants. All s...

This study investigated whether the unreliability of golf scores for professional golfers can be accounted for by restriction of range. Reliability estimates for hole-to-hole scores were calculated from data from 2679 players on the PGA Tour, 32 senior club professionals, and 62 men and 49 women amateurs who had won either their club or course cham...

The Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 (SWAP) is a Q-sort instrument designed to assess personality pathology on the basis of clinician ratings. On the basis of research with the SWAP, its creators have proposed a group of 12 personality disorder (PD) diagnoses that can be used to replace or modify current Axis II categories of the Diagnostic...

The present study examined the effects of suggestive questioning and indirect evidence on the perceived credibility of a child reporting sexual abuse. Written materials describing a trial for indecency with a child were presented to 232 mock jurors, who were asked to render a verdict and rate the credibility of witnesses. When the child's statement...

This study examined whether reinforcement can induce children to falsely incriminate themselves. Ninety-nine children in kindergarten through third grade were questioned regarding the staged theft of a toy. Half received reinforcement for self-incriminating responses. Within 4 min reinforced children made 52% false admissions of guilty knowledge co...

In the 1980s and early 1990s the United States witnessed an outbreak of bizarre “daycare abuse” cases in which groups of young children levelled allegations of sexual and Satanic abuse against their teachers. In the present study, quantitative analyses were performed on a total of 54 interview transcripts from two highly publicised daycare cases (M...

Many widely used psychological measures, particularly projective techniques, rest on weak scientific footing. We examine five reasons for the continued popularity of questionable psychological tests: (1) illusory correlation, (2) the P.T. Barnum effect, (3) the overperception of psychopathology, (4) the "alchemist's fantasy," and (5) clinical tradi...

Comments on the article by D. Westen and J. Weinberger (see record 2004-19091-002 ), which stated that '...science can be viewed as the history of confirmatory biases" (p. 609). This comment's authors prefer an alternative formulation: The history of science can be viewed as a constant and largely successful struggle to overcome confirmatory biases...

The controversy surrounding the Rorschach is updated, and an analysis of its dynamics is offered. Results on normative data and validity are reviewed, followed by a summary of, and rebuttal to, arguments made by Rorschach advocates. We argue that the current controversy can be traced, at least in part, to two unwarranted beliefs. First is the belie...

Case files of 205 seriously mentally ill individuals (74% Latino, 22% European American) were examined. Medicare usage (β = .26), prior hospitalizations (β = .19), and European American ethnicity (β = .17) were significant sociodemographic and clinical predictors of rehospitalizations during the 3 years that followed hospital discharge. Ethnic reho...

Principal axis factor analyses of the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) in a clinical sample of 152 adolescents yielded three clearly defined factors: Synthesized Complexity (defined by Zf, DQ+, and F%), Productivity (defined by R, D, and Dd), and Form Quality (defined by X+%, F+%, and X-%). Variables on the Synthesized Complexity and Form Qualit...

The Rorschach is used to assess personality and mental illness across a wide range of circumstances: child custody disputes, educational placement decisions, employment and termination proceedings, parole determinations, and even investigations of child abuse allegations. This book challenges the validity and utility of the inkblot test and explain...

Famous clinical psychologists used the Rorschach Inkblot Test to arrive at incredible insights. But were the astounding performances of these Rorschach Wizards merely a variation on astrology and palm reading?

By learning about the validity of individual test scores, psychologists can avoid using scores that are invalid and making judgments that are potentially harmful to their clients. This is important not only for improving clinical and forensic practice but also for avoiding lawsuits. In this article, the effective use of projective techniques is des...

By learning about the validity of individual test scores, psychologists can avoid using scores that are invalid and making judgments that are potentially harmful to their clients. This is important not only for improving clinical and forensic practice but also for avoiding lawsuits. In this article, the effective use of projective techniques is des...

Are clinical psychologists' assessment practices cost-effective? Are they scientifically sound? Are they fair and unbiased? Financial pressures from managed care interests, recent developments in the law, and multicultural issues are forcing the profession to confront these hard questions regarding accountability. Our review discusses the important...

Comments are made about the articles comprising the first round of the Special Series on the Rorschach. G. Stricker and J. R. Gold (1999) and D. J. Viglione (1999) praised the Rorschach, but they consistently failed to cite negative findings. R. M. Dawes (1999) obtained results that provide modest support for the Rorschach, but one of his data sets...

Comments are made about the articles comprising the first round of the Special Series on the Rorschach. G. Stricker and J. R. Gold (1999) and D. J. Viglione (1999) praised the Rorschach, but they consistently failed to cite negative findings. R. M. Dawes (1999) obtained results that provide modest support for the Rorschach, but one of his data sets...

The Com pre hen sive Sys tern for the Ror schach is currently the sub ject of heated con tro versy among psy chol o gists. Much “com mon knowl edge” about the test is ei ther in cor rect or in dis pute. Psychologists who use the Ror schach in fo ren sic settings can often be sue cess fully chal lenged by well-in formed at tor neys and may risk beco...

The norms of the Comprehensive System (CS) for the Rorschach have been praised for their scientific and clinical value. However, recent findings by Shaffer, Erdberg, and Haroian suggest that the CS norms are inaccurate. We examined 14 CS variables in 32 studies of non-patient adults. The participants in these studies exhibited statistically and cli...

In “The Misperception of Psychopathology: Problems with the Norms of the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach,” we reviewed results from 32 studies and concluded that the norms of the Comprehensive System (CS) are inaccurate and tend to make nonpatient Americans appear psychologically disordered. Hunsley and Di Giulio, Widiger, and Aronow all agr...

The Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1991, 1993) for the Rorschach is currently engulfed in controversy. This comment article responds to 3 articles by Rorschach proponents in this issue of the Journal of Personality Assessment. Contrary to the claims of Gacono, Loving, and Bodholdt (this issue), CS scores do not bear a well-demonstrated relationsh...

A recent commentary by Meyer (2000) in the Journal of Personality Assessment alleged that Rorschach critic Wood and his colleagues had intentionally published information that they knew to be in error. To substantiate this contention, Meyer's commentary published information that was part of the peer review process at another journal. In this rejoi...

Psychologists often use the famous Rorschach inkblot test and related tools to assess personality and mental illness. But research says the instruments are frequently ineffective for those purposes

Although projective techniques continue to be widely used in clinical and forensic settings, their scientific status remains highly controversial. In this monograph, we review the current state of the literature concerning the psychometric properties (norms, reliability, validity, incremental validity, treatment utility) of three major projective i...

Although projective techniques continue to be widely used in clinical and forensic settings, their scientific status remains highly controversial. In this monograph, we review the current state of the literature concerning the psychometric properties (norms, reliability, validity, incremental validity, treatment utility) of three major projective i...

This article argues that child sexual abuse interviews can go astray in two different ways: (a) improper interviewing has the potential to elicit false allegations from children, and (b) clumsy interviewing does not typically produce false allegations, but may have other negative consequences, particularly for child victims. The article clarifies t...

Projective techniques (e.g., the Rorschach, Human Figure Drawings) are sometimes used to detect child sexual abuse. West recently conducted a meta-analysis on this topic, but she systematically excluded nonsignificant results. In this article, a reanalysis of her data is presented. The authors conclude that projective techniques should not be used...

In “The Rorschach Test in Clinical Diagnosis: A Critical Review, With a Backward Look at Garfield (1947),” we have shown that the Rorschach has little validity as a diagnostic tool. In the present piece, we respond to comments by Garfield (2000), Lerner (2000), and Weiner (2000). Until very recently, Rorschach proponents have claimed that the test...

The present article comments on a classic study by Garfield (1947) then reviews research on the Rorschach and psychiatric diagnoses. Despite a few positive findings, the Rorschach has demonstrated little validity as a diagnostic tool. Deviant verbalizations and bad form on the Rorschach, and indices based on these variables, are related to Schizoph...

S. Garven, J. M. Wood, R. S. Malpass, and J. S. Shaw (1998) found that the interviewing techniques used in the McMartin Preschool case can induce preschool children to make false allegations of wrong doing against a classroom visitor. In this study, 2 specific components of the McMartin interviews, reinforcement and cowitness information, were exam...

S. Garven, J. M. Wood, R. S. Malpass, and J. S. Shaw (1998) found that the interviewing techniques used in the McMartin Preschool case can induce preschool children to make false allegations of wrongdoing against a classroom visitor. In this study, 2 specific components of the McMartin interviews, reinforcement and cowitness information, were exami...

In the 1940s, inflated claims were often made regarding the Rorschach Inkblot Test. Over half a century later, overstatements regarding the test are still common. The present article identifies problems with the Rorschach regarding norms, cultural sensitivity, interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, validity, factor structure, and accessib...

A Monte Carlo study involving 10,080 factor analyses examined the optimal value of k for promax factor rotations. The value of k was varied from 2 to 10 using three versions of promax. Error and bias of the sample factor pattern were found to be lower when k [.lessequal] 5 than when k > 5 but changed only slightly as k varied between 2 and 5. The b...

The old controversy regarding the Rorschach Inkblot Test has recently revived. The present article suggests that the debate will be most productive if careful attention is paid to methodological issues. Three recent examples illustrate how incorrect conclusions regarding Rorschach validity may occur if methodological issues are not evaluated carefu...

Child interviewing techniques derived from transcripts of the McMartin Preschool case were found to be substantially more effective than simple suggestive questions at inducing preschool children to make false allegations against a classroom visitor. Thirty-six children interviewed with McMartin techniques made 58% accusations, compared with 17% fo...

Elsewhere the authors have called attention to fundamental problems with the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach (CS). G. Meyer (1997) attempts to refute the authors' criticisms of CS interrater reliability, but misrepresents what they actually stated, and several of his arguments are based on psychometric errors and misunderstandings. The meta-...

Elsewhere the authors have called attention to fundamental problems with the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach (CS). G. Meyer (1997) attempts to refute the authors' criticisms of CS interrater reliability, but misrepresents what they actually stated, and several of his arguments are based on psychometric errors and misunderstandings. The meta-...

When questioning a reluctant witness, investigators sometimes encourage the witness by providing information about what other witnesses have said. Three experiments were conducted to test the combined effects of such co-witness information and suggestive questioning on the accuracy of eyewitness memory reports. Experiment 1 was analogous to the exp...

To determine whether risk indicators of re-abuse/re-neglect, identified in earlier research by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD), would be predictive in a predominantly Hispanic population. Data for 409 substantiated abuse/neglect cases, 67% involving Hispanic caretakers, were gathered from the files of the EI Paso Department of...

The effects of under- and overextraction on principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation were examined in 2 Monte Carlo studies involving 6,420 factor analyses. It was found that (a) when underextraction occurs, the estimated factors are likely to contain considerable error; (b) when overextraction occurs, the estimated loadings for true fa...

Children's disclosure of sexual abuse has been described as a quasi-developmental process that includes stages of denial, reluctance, disclosure, recantation, and reaffirmation (Sorenson & Snow, 1991, Summit, 1983). It has been reported that nearly 75% of sexual abuse victims initially deny abuse, and that nearly 25% eventually recant their allegat...

This article identifies difficulties that can arise during sexual abuse interviews in child protection agencies. Practical recommendations are offered to interviewers, trainers, and child protection administrators. The authors suggest ways to improve the interview process and the interview environment, emphasizing the need to improve rapport buildi...

This article introduces readers to Bayes's theorem, a simple mathematical formula that can illuminate general issues and assist evaluators in the field of child sexual abuse. The theorem is applied to a case study of sexual abuse allegations that arose during a custody dispute.

The Comprehensive System (Exner, 1993) is widely accepted as a reliable and valid approach to Rorschach interpretation. However, the present article calls attention to significant problems with the system. First, contrary to common opinion, the interrater reliability of most scores in the system has never been demonstrated adequately. Second, impor...

Psychology's long controversy regarding the Rorschach inkblot technique was apparently settled in 1974 with the publication of The Rorschach A Comprehensive System (TRACS, Exner, 1974) That volume, with its subsequent extensions and revisions (Exner, 1978, 1986, 1991, 1993, Exner & Weiner, 1982, 1994), seemed to establish the Rorschach on a solid f...

One hundred sixty-one professionals and 97 undergraduates were asked to (a) prioritize 12 hypothetical CPS cases on the basis of sexual behaviors displayed by children, and (b) estimate the probability of abuse in a single case involving a child who had displayed sexual behavior and came from a population with a known base rate of abuse. When asked...

The Egocentricity Index (ECOI) is the oldest clinical index in the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach. According to Exner's 1993 edition of The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System the ECOI, reflections, and pairs are valid Rorschach measures of self-focus and narcissism. The present article reviews research on these indicators and concludes that...