MMPI correlates of social and physical anhedonia.

The construct validity of scales measuring social and physical anhedonia (L. J. Chapman et al, 1976) was investigated by performing simple and canonical correlation analyses of clinical, content, and pure scales from the MMPI. Ss were 243 consecutively admitted male veterans (mean age 31.87 yrs) in an inpatient drug dependence treatment program. Results support predictions that anhedonia, defined as a deficiency in the ability to experience pleasure, would be associated with social maladjustment and confused thinking and, further, that anhedonia scales would measure personality characteristics other than depression. Social anhedonia and physical anhedonia were associated with the clinical scales Validity and Social Introversion, the content scales Social Maladjustment and Psychoticism, and Pure Scale 7, which measures characteristics associated with the 278 MMPI profile type and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2nd edition) equivalents of "schizophrenia, latent type." Degree of association was stronger for scales measuring social anhedonia, contrary to the test authors' speculations that the measure of physical anhedonia would be the more promising of the 2 scales. The construct validity of personality assessment suggested that further study is warranted, particularly to determine other aspects of everyday living that may be implicated in measures of social and physical anhedonia. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)