Relationship between MMPI and penile plethysmograph in accused child molesters

We investigated the relationship between the MMPI and penile plethysmograph in a sample of 90 alleged child molesters. Men who had been accused of molesting a prepubertal child were divided into two groups on the basis of penile plethysmograph results (Deviant and Non‐Deviant Profiles). The MMPI scales were used to predict group membership using discriminant function analysis. The results revealed that the MMPI scores were statistically related to the penile plethysmographic profiles. However, MMPI code types were equally distributed across groups, and no single profile could be described as characteristic of men who exhibited pedophilic arousal using the penile plethysmograph results. Approximately one third of men were misclassified on the basis of MMPI scores alone. Our results extend previous findings showing that accused child molesters constitute a heterogeneous group.