Inability to predict cardiovascular disease from hostility scores or MMPI items related to Type A behavior.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 58(5) of Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (see record 2008-10621-001). In the article, the mean Ho scores are incorrect and some reported information is no longer relevant. The entries have been corrected and are included in the erratum. All other analyses and all conclusions are correct as reported.] Medical and psychological data collected for 30 years on a group of 280 men (mean age in 1947&=&45 years) were evaluated to identify the personality characteristics and attitudes that might be predictive of the later development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Hostility scores did not predict CHD in this population. A 35-item scale derived from MMPI items judged to reflect the Type A construct and from other personality scales did not predict the later incidence of myocardial infarctions or other evidence of CHD. It is therefore possible that personality factors may not be strong predictors of CHD in particular samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparability of two administration formats of the Keane Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale.

Evaluated the utility of administering the 49 items of the Keane MMPI posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scale (T. M. Keane et al; see record 1985-02913-001) as an instrument separate from the full MMPI. Scores obtained through a separate administration of the PTSD scale were significantly positively correlated with scores obtained through a standard administration of the MMPI. This finding held for both White (n?=?114) and African-American (n?=?61) Ss. Within each ethnic group, mean scores were virtually identical across administration formats. Overall, 94.3% of the veterans were similarly classified on both administrations of the PTSD scale when the recommended cutoff score of 30 was applied. The clinical and research uses of the PTSD scale as a separate instrument are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response sets and factor loadings on sixty-one personality scales.

Intercorrelations between 58 MMPI and 3 other personality scales, based upon the scores of 151 students, were factor analyzed and the factors rotated orthogonally. Loadings of the scales on the 1st factor correlated .90 with the proportion of items keyed for socially desirable responses and .98 with the zero-order correlations of the scales with the Social Desirability (SD) scale. The proportion of keyed True items correlated .82 with the loadings of the scales on the 2nd factor. The Lie and 3 other scales similar to the Lie scale had substantial loadings on the 3rd factor. The 1st factor is interpreted as reflecting the tendency to acquiesce, and the 3rd as reflecting the tendency to falsify answers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validation of the MMPI-2 Computerized Adaptive version (MMPI-2-CA) in a correctional intake facility.

Computerized adaptive testing in personality assessment can improve efficiency by significantly reducing the number of items administered to answer an assessment question. The time savings afforded by this technique could be of particular benefit in settings where large numbers of psychological screenings are conducted, such as correctional facilities. In the current study, item and time savings, as well as the test–retest and extratest correlations associated with an audio augmented administration of all the scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2 Computerized Adaptive (MMPI-2-CA) are reported. Participants include 366 men, ages 18 to 62 years (M = 33.04, SD = 10.40), undergoing intake into a large Midwestern state correctional facility. Results of the current study indicate considerable item and corresponding time savings for the MMPI-2-CA compared to conventional administration of the test, as well as comparability in terms of test–retest and correlations with external measures. Future directions of adaptive personality testing are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Relation between mastery behavior in infancy and competence in early childhood": Correction to Messer et al.

Reports an error in "Relation between mastery behavior in infancy and competence in early childhood" by David J. Messer, Mary E. McCarthy, Susan McQuiston, Robert H. MacTurk, Leon J. Yarrow and Peter M. Vietze (Developmental Psychology, 1986[May], Vol 22[3], 366-372). In the article, an incorrect copyright note has been given. The copyright note has been corrected and is included in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1986-24138-001.) 53 infants were observed at 6 and 12 mo of age during 2 24-min play sessions. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) were given at 6 and 12 mo and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) at 30 mo of age. Results reveal that measures of competence in infancy (successful task completion during play and the BSID scores) were not strongly correlated with the 30-mo MSCA scores. In contrast, infant mastery behavior during play strongly predicted MSCA scores: The time spent investigating toys at 6 mo and persistence in solving tasks at 12 mo of age were behaviors significantly positively correlated with the MSCA scales. It is suggested that infant behaviors that predict later competence do not remain static but change with age and that infants' mastery behavior is a more effective predictor of later development than their competence with either toys or developmental tests. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Utility of the Mini-Mult with delinquents.

Investigated the accuracy with which the Mini-Mult, a 71-item short form of the MMPI, could predict features of the standard MMPI in a nonpsychiatric population of 100 male and 25 female delinquents. The Mini-Mult and MMPI were administered in that order to all Ss with a 24-48 hr. intertest interval. Group results for both sexes show good correspondence between Mini-Mult and MMPI scores, while individual profile pairs suggest that for these Ss the Mini-Mult allows few conclusions about the validity, high points, or general elevation of an MMPI profile obtained soon after. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on Shweder's "Illusory correlation and the MMPI controversy."

R. A. Shweder's (see record 1978-20145-001) 1st principal-component factor loadings are substantially correlated with the proportion of items keyed for true and socially desirable responses in the MMPI scales that he investigated, and it is suggested that the judgments of similarity and dissimilarity that he obtained were based on social desirability considerations. It is also shown that although there is a preexisting conceptual scheme that is widely shared regarding what is desirable and undesirable in the way of personality characteristics, differences in the degree to which individuals agree with the cultural norms of social desirability have little relationship to individual differences in social desirability responding to MMPI items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Type A behavior pattern and emotion expression in younger and older adults": Correction.

Reports an error in the original article by C. Malatesta-Magai et al (Psychology & Aging, 1992[Dec], Vol 7[4], 551–561). A citation that was inadvertently omitted from the original article is provided. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1993-17168-001.) 80 younger (M?=?28 yrs) and 80 older (>50 yrs, M?=?69 yrs) Type A and Type B Ss were evaluated for Type A behavior pattern using the Structured Interview (SI) and given personality tests for anxiety, depression, anger, aggression, hostility, and anger-in–anger-out. Ss also underwent an emotion induction procedure. Videotapes of the emotion induction procedure (N?=?160) and the SI (N?=?80) were coded for facial expression of emotion. Type As did not differ from Bs on anxiety or depression but did on anger and aggression. Type As showed anger inhibition and anger bound to shame, as predicted by emotion socialization theory. The greatest number of differential effects were observed between age groups. Older individuals, in general, were more emotionally expressive than younger Ss across a range of emotions. Women appeared more conflicted about anger expression than men, and Type A women more so than Type A men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral determinants of mental illness concerns: A comparison of "gatekeeper" professions.

Asked members of 5 "mental illness gatekeeper" professions (N = 178) from 2 different communities to evaluate 190 behavioral items for the mental illness implications of the behavior described in each item. Items were largely derived from the MMPI and were analyzed in terms of 13 content homogeneous clusters. Professional groups differed significantly in their general readiness to "see" mental illness in the total pool of items. Groups also differed in the ways they defined mental illness in behavioral terms. This was evidenced by between-groups differences on cluster scores when total level of endorsement was used as a covariate. Main effects for professional group differences were obtained for those clusters of items containing the less deviant forms of behavior. For those clusters containing the more severe forms of deviance, Professional Group * Community interaction effects were found. Results are discussed in terms of the professional and social functions that each of these professions seems to serve in the 2 types of communities surveyed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is alexithymia related to psychosomatic disorder and somatizing?

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among alexithymia (as measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale--TAS and the scored version of the Archetypal 9 Test--SAT9), the presence or absence of classical psychosomatic disease, and the experience and expression of physical signs and symptoms. Subjects included thirty-two physical signs and symptoms. Subjects included thirty-two in-patients on a psychosomatic medicine unit (somatizing group), thirty-one out-patients who presented to a psychology clinic (psychiatric group), and thirty-four dental patients (comparison group). All subjects completed the TAS, the SAT9, the Hypochondriasis scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI Hs), the Physical Malfunctioning subscale of the MMPI (MMPI Physm), the Somatic Complaints subscale of the MMPI (MMPI Somc), the Hypochondriasis and Denial scales of the Basic Personality Inventory (BPI Hs and BPI Dn), and a demographic questionnaire. Age was significantly correlated with some of the TAS subscales (p < 0.001). There was no significant differences in SAT9 or TAS scores among the three subject groups (SAT9 F(2, 87) = 1.88, p = 0.16; TAS F(2, 92) = 2.91, p = 0.06). MMPI Hs, MMPI Physm, MMPI Somc, BPI Hs could significantly predict TAS (R = 0.46, F(4, 89) = 6.06, p = 0.0002) but not SAT9 scores (R = 0.26, F(5, 84) = 1.54, p = 0.20). Neither TAS (F(2, 92) = 2.13, p = 0.12) or SAT9 (F(2, 87) = 0.095, p = 0.91) scores differed significantly between subjects grouped according to whether they had none, one, or two or more classical psychosomatic disorders.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Complete automation of the MMPI and a study of its response latencies.

Examined the feasibility of computerizing the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the MMPI and comparing its response latencies with other MMPI item characteristics. 26 scales were successfully scored for 77 undergraduates, and an interpretive report was typed by the program. With respect to item response latency, stepwise regression analysis indicate that item length accounted for 48-58% of the variance, while item ambiguity, social desirability, and social desirability dispersion accounted for only 3-8%. For the 38 MMPI critical items, "deviant" response latencies were longer than "nondeviant" latencies. Replication results with 56 Ss were almost identical. Thus, excepting subtests of personality items, latency may not have the psychological significance often attributed to it. (26 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social desirability and responses to items from three MMPI scales: D, Sc, and K.

For random samples of 25 D and 32 Sc items, and for 29 of the 30 K items, ratings of social desirability were correlated with the probabilities that the items would be endorsed when the MMPI was used as a personality test (based on proportion of a college student sample actually endorsing each item). The correlations were .82 and .89 for the D and Sc items respectively. For the K-scale items, correlations of social desirability were computed with endorsement probabilities from a "typical college sample" (r = .50), and "Average-K" group (r = .38), and a "high-K" group (r = .66). "The results were interpreted as demonstrating the validity of K as a measure of the set to respond to items in terms of their social desirability." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological predictors of heart disease: A quantitative review.

A meta-analysis, or quantitative review, was performed to integrate and organize the results of studies that investigated certain personality variables in relation to coronary heart disease (CHD). The personality variables included were anger, hostility, aggression, depression, extroversion, anxiety, Type A, and the major components of Type A. The meta-analytic framework helps focus attention on issues needing clarification. The results indicate that modest but reliable associations exist between some of the personality variables and CHD. The strongest associations were found for Type A and, surprisingly, for depression, but anger/hostility/aggression and anxiety also related reliably to CHD. The Structured Interview diagnosis of Type A was shown to be clearly superior to the Jenkins Activity Survey as a predictor of CHD. The Type A–CHD relation was smaller in prospective than in cross-sectional studies and smaller in recent than in less recent studies. This review also revealed that information about the interrelations of personality predictors of CHD is sorely needed. The picture of coronary-proneness revealed by this review is not one of a hurried, impatient workaholic but instead is one of a person with one or more negative emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The Memory Functioning Questionnaire for assessment of memory complaints in adulthood and old age": Correction to Gilewski et al.

Reports an error in "The Memory Functioning Questionnaire for assessment of memory complaints in adulthood and old age" by Michael J. Gilewski, Elizabeth M. Zelinski and K. Warner Schaie (Psychology and Aging, 1990[Dec], Vol 5[4], 482-490). In the aforementioned article, the author note at the beginning of the article should have contained the following statement: "The Memory Functioning Questionnaire (MFQ) items that appear in the appendix at the end of this article were published previously in 'Memory Functioning Questionnaire (MFQ)' by Michael J. Gilewski and Elizabeth M. Zelinski (Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 1988, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 665-670). The current article reflects the construction validation, scoring, and interpretation of the MFQ more accurately than does the article that appeared in Psychopharmacology Bulletin." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1991-08788-001.) The results of psychometric analyses of the Metamemory Questionnaire (MQ) of E. M. Zelinski et al (1980), developed to evaluate perception of everyday memory functioning, are presented for a sample of 343 men and 435 women (aged 16-89 yrs). Exploratory factor analysis yielded 4 correlated factors (General Frequency of Forgetting, Retrospective Functioning, and Mnemonics Usage) that accounted for 36.7% of the variance in responses to the MQ. Factor structure was invariant across age groups (16-54 vs 55-89 yrs), 2 independent samples, and over 3 yrs. Because some of the original MQ scales did not load on the factors, only 64 of the original 92 items were retained for inclusion in the Memory Functioning Questionnaire (MFQ). Internal consistency of MFQ scores is high. The MFQ is therefore reliable for evaluating memory self-appraisals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between voice-quality profiles and MMPI profiles in psychiatric patients.

Examined the personality traits of speakers with different voice-quality profiles. Speech samples and MMPI scores were obtained from 78 male psychiatric patients. The speech samples were rated for the voice qualities of pitch, loudness, and tempo. Each S was assigned to 1 of 3 voice-quality profile groups: peak-pitch (N = 29), peak-loudness (N = 27), and peak-tempo (N = 22). An analysis of variance indicated a significant difference between the mean MMPI profiles of the 3 groups and supported the hypothesis that the 3 voice-quality profile groups represent 3 different personality types. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to personality inventories with situational stress.

"The effect of situational stress on personality inventories was measured by administering the MMPI and GAMIN during class sessions scheduled for midterm examinations to two classes of college students. The S's given the MMPI were informed that their academic performance had been inferior; S's given the GAMIN were informed that the examination would be a particularly difficult one. Significant differences between stress and non-stress scores were observed on D, Winne, and Welsh scales of the MMPI… . Adjustment scores on the GAMIN were also poorer under stress than in a retest situation." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring depression in a clinical population using the MMPI.

When the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) has been compared with other objective depression measures in terms of validity, results have been inconsistent. Administering the MMPI to samples of 72 clinically depressed and 61 clinically nondepressed inpatients and comparing scores from its Depression scale with scores from the Beck Depression Inventory was the purpose of this study. A positive linear relation between the two measures and their ability to discriminate between depressed and nondepressed groups was demonstrated. When obvious subscale items were removed from the MMPI Depression scale and were analyzed separately, results improved on a hit rate of 70% for depression in this population. Research findings based on MMPI Depression scale data from clinical populations may be misleading unless variance due to face-valid or obvious items is taken into account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Incremental Validity of the Frame-of-Reference Effect in Personality Scale Scores: A Replication and Extension.

Context-specific personality items provide respondents with a common frame of reference unlike more traditional, noncontextual personality items. The common frame of reference standardizes item interpretation and has been shown to reduce measurement error while increasing validity in comparison to noncontextual items (M. J. Schmit, A. M. Ryan. S. L. Stierwalt. & S. L. Powell, 1995). Although the frame-of-reference effect on personality scales scores has been well investigated (e.g., M. J. Schmit et al., 1995), the ability of this innovation to obtain incremental validity above and beyond the well-established, noncontextual personality scale scores has yet to be examined. The current study replicates and extends work by M. J. Schmit et al. (1995) to determine the incremental validity of the frame-of-reference effect. The results indicate that context-specific personality items do indeed obtain incremental validity above and beyond both noncontextual items and cognitive ability, and in spite of socially desirable responding induced by applicant instructions. The implications of these findings for personnel selection are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of different leadership styles on group accuracy.

Manipulated variables of F. Fiedler's contingency model in a group problem-solving situation. Air Force cadets made private individual estimates of rank-order merit of survival items and subsequently were placed in 48 groups of 4-5 Ss to arrive at consensual estimates. A replication study conducted 1 yr. later utilized 32 new groups of 4-5 cadets. Leaders had been contacted earlier, given the solution, and told to assume specific roles: Type I (high accuracy, authoritarian); Type II (high accuracy, democratic); Type III (low accuracy, authoritarian); Type IV (low accuracy, democratic). Type I produced the highest accuracy, Types II and IV had intermediate and comparable accuracy, and Type III produced the lowest accuracy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)