Contextual effects on the MMPI.

This study was designed to determine in what ways and to what extent MMPI scores are influenced by the ordering of their items. 12 shortened forms of the MMPI were developed, using 4 different scales (paranoia, social desirability, physical health, and acquiescence) and 3 different patterns of ordering (all items appearing first, being scattered throughout, or appearing last in the test). Ss included 473 college students, 108 neurotics, and 54 paranoid schizophrenics. Each S was administered 2 of the test forms, each of which contained a different ordering schema of the same items, with a 1-week interval between test administrations. Findings indicated no significant contextual effects on any of the scales. (42 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)