Personality Assessment With Asian Americans in Legal Settings

Abstract

ABSTRACTAlthough Asian Americans are statistically less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system than individuals of other racial groups, the Asian American prison population is rapidly and disproportionately increasing. However, the historical underrepresentation implies that few Asian Americans are present in forensic samples supporting the use of personality assessment in legal settings, which calls into question the validity and reliability of these measures in similar samples. This literature review examined 883 publications regarding the use of personality measures with Asian and Asian American samples to ascertain whether these measures met the legal requirements for evidence used in the courtroom. No available research examined the use of any of these measures with Asian Americans in a forensic context, although support for the use of some measures in nonforensic settings was available. Limited research examined these measures in forensic contexts in China, Japan, and India. More research with Asian American samples is necessary to ensure that these measures meet the legal and ethical requirements for mental health professionals to use these measures in legal settings. Given the dearth of available literature, recommendations for evaluators and researchers are provided.