Alex B. Caldwell, PhD. | Caldwell Reports

Alex B. Caldwell photo Alex B. Caldwell, PhD. 1929-2021

Internationally recognized as a leader in the interpretation of the MMPI-2 Test, Alex Caldwell’s analyses of MMPI-2 test results, provided through Caldwell Reports, are unique in their sensitivity to a wide range of issues and in the specificity of the behaviors described that are often unique to single code types. His innovative and humane thinking is well known to those who have heard him in lectures and workshops around the world.

Dr. Caldwell has always felt privileged to have pursued both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Minnesota during the tenure of Drs. Starke R. Hathaway and Paul E. Meehl. Dr. Hathaway served as Dr. Caldwell’s graduate advisor, mentor, and friend. He considered Dr. Paul Meehl’s lectures as the most intellectually stimulating experiences of his life.

Dr. Caldwell completed his doctoral dissertation in 1958. In 1959, he joined the faculty of UCLA in the Department of Psychiatry, and he was subsequently given an appointment in the Department of Psychology. He retired as Clinical Professor from both UCLA departments in 1997.

Dr. Caldwell began developing one of the first computerized MMPI interpretation programs in the late 1960’s. This exquisitely crafted program, containing over 40,000 codetype sentences and corresponding algorithms, is based upon innumerable case studies and the research literature as well as Dr. Caldwell’s vast clinical experience. He continually refined and updated it.

The resulting program specifies personality characteristics and predictions from MMPI-2 profiles well beyond the predictive ability of the most experienced clinician. By Dr. Caldwell’s ready admission, the mass of detail retained by the computer exceeded his own memory almost from the beginning of the development of the system. Regarding the final written assessments, a consultant is available to consult with clinicians on technical questions such as the origin and meaning of particular interpretations and the application of a report in various settings.

Recognized by fellow psychologists for his contributions to MMPI and MMPI-2 interpretation and scholarship, Dr. Caldwell was the recipient of the California Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award in 1991. He received the Distinguished Contribution to the Profession of Clinical Psychology from the Los Angeles Society of Clinical Psychologists in 1999. He was recognized in 1999 by the Wisconsin Psychology Foundation with their first ever Wisconsin Psychology Enrichment Award. In 2003, the Society for Personality Assessment honored Dr. Caldwell with the Bruno Klopfer Award for his “outstanding, long-term professional contribution to the field of personality assessment.”

Dr. Caldwell is the author of Forensic Questions and Answers on the MMPI/MMPI-2. Written for use by attorneys as well as forensic psychologists, the question-and-answer format has been especially well received for its immediate practical applicability in forensic work.

After over 50 years of serving the psychological community with his brilliant MMPI interpretive program, Dr. Caldwell realized that as the original innovator of Computer Based Test Interpretation, the Caldwell Report needed to be stream-lined to be more user friendly and easily accessible. In 2018, he approached a colleague, psychologist Bennett Williamson, Ph.D., to help him improve the delivery systems of Caldwell’s unparalleled reports in a way that was easier for clients to access, but with no reduction in quality and depth of reporting.

After two years of intense work, the Caldwell Reports you have relied upon for years became available again and more accessible in late 2020. Following the launch of our new website, what remains the same are the accuracy, utility, and remarkable level of insight synonymous with Caldwell Reports. Dr. Jane Rosen, who worked closely with Alex for 35 years, remains an integral part of Caldwell Reports. Dr. Rosen also continues to consult with our customers about interpreting reports as needed.

Dr. Caldwell may no longer be with us, following his passing in 2021, but his MMPI-2 interpretive program – the crowning achievement of his professional life – continues to be fully operational and continuing his vision.