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ACKERMAN-SCHOENDORF

PARENTEVALUATION OF

CUSTODYTEST(ASPECT)

The Ackerman-Schoendorf Parent Evaluation of

Custody Test (ASPECT) was among the first forensic

assessment instruments developed specifically for use

in the area of parenting disputes. Its design requires

the user to develop multiple data sources. The

ASPECT laid the foundation for further search for

objective, data-intensive assessment in this highly

complex area of forensic work.

Description of the Instrument

The ASPECT is designed specifically to assist the eval-

uator in gathering information to be used in court-

related assessments. It was one of the first instruments

to be developed for the complex purpose of assessing a

family when parenting time and responsibility are in

dispute. This instrument relies on multiple data sources,

including some psychological measures with good psy-

chometric properties. It provides a structured approach

to data collection and assimilation, ensures that the

same evaluative criteria are applied to both parents, and

attempts to quantify the results in a way that allows for

comparison of their parental competency. In its concep-

tion and design, some effort was made to ensure that it

was a reliable and valid measure that would convert the

highly subjective child custody evaluation process to a

more objective, deliberate, and defensible forensic

technique.

The ASPECT comprises 56 items to be answered

by the evaluator after a series of interviews, observa-

tions, and tests have been completed. The tests include

the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2

(MMPI–2), the Rorschach, the Thematic Apperception

Test/Children’s Apperception Test (TAT/CAT), projec-

tive questions, projective drawings, and intellectual

and achievement testing. Parents also complete a 57-

item Parent Questionnaire. Selected data from the tests

comprise the answers to 15 of the 56 evaluator ques-

tions; the other 44 questions address material to be

deduced from the Parent Questionnaires, interviews,

and observations. There are 12 critical items that are

said to be significant indicators of parenting deficits.

The 56 items are, according to the authors, equally

weighted based on a rational approach and are com-

bined to form a Parental Custody Index (PCI) for each

parent. The three subscales, the Observational Scale,

the Social Scale, and the Cognitive-Emotional Scale,

have not proven to be useful, according to the authors,

and should not be used for interpretation.

The mean PCI is 78, and the standard deviation is

10. The authors suggest that if parents’ PCI scores are
    within 10 points of one another, joint custody with sub-
    stantially equal placement is recommended; if they are
    more than 20 points apart, the higher-scoring parent
    is substantially more fit to parent, and primary place-
    ment with the possibility of sole custody should be
    explored. When scores are between 10 and 20 points
    apart, the authors recommend more closely scrutinizing
    collateral information to determine the appropriate cus-
    tody arrangement. The standardization demographic
    (n=200) of the ASPECT was predominately white and
    relatively homogeneous.

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