Personality Assessment Inventory

The Personality Assessment Inventory (published by Psychology Assessment Resources) is a self-administered, objective measure of adult personality and psychopathology designed to aid in the identification of critical client variables in therapeutic settings. The PAI consists of 344 items and four sets of scales: four validity scales (Inconsistency, Infrequency, Negative Impression, and Positive Impression); [Page 766]11 clinical scales covering the major categories of pathology corresponding to the DSM nosology (i.e., Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Anxiety-Related Disorders, Depression, Mania, Paranoia, Schizophrenia, Borderline Features, Antisocial Features, Alcohol Problems, and Drug Problems); five treatment scales measuring constructs related to treatment and case management (i.e., Aggression, Suicidal Ideation, Stress, Nonsupport, and Treatment Rejection); and two interpersonal scales (i.e., Dominance and Warmth). Respondents are asked to read each item and decide the self-accuracy of the statements on a 4-point Likert-type scale (i.e., False–Not at All True, Slightly True, Mainly True, or Very True). The PAI generally takes respondents 45–50 minutes to complete.

Unlike similar objective measures of personality and psychopathology (e.g., Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2), all of the PAI scales are independent, with no item overlap. Among the combined normative sample, test-retest reliability of PAI clinical scales over an average of 24 days ranged from .79 to .92. This reflects the fact that the instrument taps relatively enduring patient characteristics rather than current clinical state alone. Validity studies have generally found the PAI scales to represent the domains of interest, sufficiently discriminate among clinical symptoms, and correlate with alternate existent measures of personality and psychopathology. Comparative norms exist for general adults, adult psychiatric inpatients, and college students (ages 18 and older).

Although a relatively new assessment instrument, the PAI has gained wide support from researchers, professional trainers, and practitioners. Since its introduction in 1991, the PAI has been included in more than 300 published studies. In addition, the PAI ranks fourth among personality tests employed by graduate training programs and predoctoral internships accredited by the American Psychological Association. With regard to practice applications, and in addition to traditional psychotherapeutic settings, the PAI is widely used in forensic settings and in legal cases involving emotional injury.