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Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) norms based on 508 child custody litigants are presented. Defensive underreporting and self-favorability were often exhibited along with an elevation on the Over-Controlled Hostility (O-H) scale. Highest mean clinical scale scores were Hysteria, Paranoia, and Psychopathic Deviate. Differences were not found among mothers, fathers, and stepparents, indicating that a single set of norms is suitable. Findings highlight the importance of context specificity in personality assessment. Proper interpretation of personality inventories in child custody disputes needs to consider both the norms of the standardization sample and the litigants' reference norms. It was not possible to determine from the MMPI-2 per se whether a defensive approach overestimates mental health in a psychologically healthy population or conceals symptomatology in psychologically disturbed persons.An important development in the field of psychological assessment is the recognition that psychological test interpretation may be influenced by and contingent on person characteristics and contexts Graham, 1995;Pope, Butcher, & Seelen, 1993). Personality tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) have recently and purposively been revised and restandardized because of outdated verbiage and norms (

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Consistency of hand preference was examined in a longitudinal study of children between 18 and 42 months of age. Results showed a sex-specific relationship between hand consistency and intellectual development. Across a variety of intellectual abilities at all ages, females with consistency of handedness were precocious compared to females without such consistency. This relationship did not hold for males.

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