Use of the MMPI-2 in American Indians: I. Comparability of the MMPI-2 Between Two Tribes and With the MMPI-2 Normative Group.

The comparability of the MMPI-2 in American Indians with the MMPI-2 normative group was investigated in a sample of 535 Southwestern and 297 Plains American Indian tribal members with contrasting sociocultural and historical origins. Both American Indian tribal groups had clinically significant higher T scores (>5 T points) on 5 validity and clinical scales, 6 content scales, and 2 supplementary scales than did the MMPI-2 normative group. There were no significant differences between the 2 tribal groups on any of the MMPI-2 clinical, content, or supplementary scales. Matching members of both tribes with persons in the MMPI-2 normative group on the basis of age, gender, and education reduced the magnitude of the differences between the 2 groups on all of these scales, although the differences in T scores still exceeded 5 T points. It appears likely that the MMPI-2 differences of these 2 American Indian groups from the normative group may reflect their adverse historical, social, and economic conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI-2 with male and female state and federal prison inmates.

This study examined the base rates, patterns, and configurations of male and female prisoners on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) validity, basic, supplementary, and content scales and compares them with the MMPI-2 adult norms and with the performance of offenders on the original MMPI (S. R. Hathaway & J. C. McKinley, 1943). Expectations as to which scales would show significant and meaningful elevations and effect scores were generally upheld. The most prominent MMPI-2 scales are Infrequency, 4, 6, 9, MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale-Revised, and Antisocial Practices for both genders, and Scales 5 and Addiction Admission Scale among women. Scales 0 and Responsibility scale appeared to be inhibitory scales. Men and women had similar profile configurations, but the female offenders' scores were more deviant than those of the men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sensitivity of MMPI-2 validity scales to underreporting of symptoms.

Standard and supplementary scales designed to detect underreporting of symptoms on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (S. R. Hathaway & J. C. McKinley, 1983) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2; J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) were investigated in two groups of participants. Fifty individuals who completed the MMPI-2 under a fake-good instruction set were compared to 50 matched individuals who completed it under the standard instructions. Fake-good participants scored significantly higher than standard participants on all underreporting scales. Effect sizes showed that fake good participants differed from standard participants by nearly 2 SD on the average. Hierarchical regression and discriminant function analyses suggested that two supplementary underreporting scales, J. S. Wiggins's (1959) Social Desirability Scale and the Superlative Scale (J. N. Butcher & K. Han, 1993), have significant incremental validity over the traditional L and K scales in discriminating standard from underreported profiles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial bias in personality assessment: Using the MMPI-2 to predict psychiatric diagnoses of African American and Caucasian chemical dependency inpatients.

An assessment of predictive bias was conducted on numerous scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2; J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989), including the Restructured Clinical (RC) scales, in the prediction of clinical diagnostic status for African American and Caucasian male veterans seeking substance abuse treatment. Patients completed a battery of self-report instruments and were administered structured diagnostic interviews. African American patients obtained higher scores across most MMPI-2 scales compared with Caucasians with clinically meaningful elevations (T scores > 5 points) on 3 scales. The RC scales demonstrated strong correlations with diagnoses, however, like other MMPI-2 scales examined in this study, they displayed a general trend of predictive bias. Step-down hierarchical regression procedures (G. J. Lautenschlager & J. L. Mendoza, 1986) indicated the presence of predictive bias for a majority of the scales examined; however, most of these effects were small to modest (accounting for 3%–5% of variance). The pattern of slope and intercept biases across types of MMPI-2 scales differs from prior research and indicates the importance of evaluating bias in various populations and settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of MMPI-2 validity in African American and Caucasian psychiatric inpatients.

This study investigated ethnic differences on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPT-2) in 229 African American and 1,558 Caucasian psychiatric inpatients. Mean differences were found on several MMPI-2 validity and clinical scales. These were generally consistent with differences between the groups, indicated by the available extratest criterion data. To identify potential bias, the authors conducted 65 step-down hierarchical multiple regression analyses, predicting conceptually relevant clinical criteria from either MMPI-2 clinical or content scales for each gender. A number of MMPI-2 scales evidenced bias reflecting minor underprediction of psychopathology in African Americans. It is important to note that, in almost all cases, the magnitude of these differences was small and not clinically significant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, posttraumatic stress disorder, and women domestic violence survivors.

When a professional psychologist examines a woman domestic violence survivor's MMPI-2 (J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. M. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) profile, what unique signs will there be that she suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Existing empirical evidence and diagnostic decision rules for determining the presence of PTSD with the MMPI-2 cannot be applied to domestic violence survivors. The MMPI-2 was administered to 93 women domestic violence survivors. Results suggest that the MMPI-2 is sensitive to PTSD symptoms. Women domestic violence survivors with PTSD generate unique average MMPI-2 profiles. The Defensiveness (K) validity and 1 (Hypochondriasis [Hs]) scales may assist in discriminating between survivors with and without PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Detection of overreported psychopathology with the MMPI-2 RF form validity scales.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 23(1) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2011-01446-001). There was an error in the title. The title should have read “Detection of Overreported Psychopathology With the MMPI-2-RF Validity Scales.”] [Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Psychological Assessment (see record 2011-01446-001). There was an error in the title. The title should have read “Detection of Overreported Psychopathology With the MMPI-2-RF Validity Scales.”] We examined the utility of the validity scales on the recently released Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2 RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) to detect overreported psychopathology. This set of validity scales includes a newly developed scale and revised versions of the original MMPI-2 validity scales. We used an analogue, experimental simulation in which MMPI-2 RF responses (derived from archived MMPI-2 protocols) of undergraduate students instructed to overreport psychopathology (in either a coached or noncoached condition) were compared with those of psychiatric inpatients who completed the MMPI-2 under standardized instructions. The MMPI-2 RF validity scale Infrequent Psychopathology Responses best differentiated the simulation groups from the sample of patients, regardless of experimental condition. No other validity scale added consistent incremental predictive utility to Infrequent Psychopathology Responses in distinguishing the simulation groups from the sample of patients. Classification accuracy statistics confirmed the recommended cut scores in the MMPI-2 RF manual (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Detection of overreported psychopathology with the MMPI-2 RF validity scales": Correction to Sellbom and Bagby (2010).

Reports an error in "Detection of overreported psychopathology with the MMPI-2 RF form validity scales" by Martin Sellbom and R. Michael Bagby (Psychological Assessment, 2010[Dec], Vol 22[4], 757-767). There was an error in the title. The title should have read “Detection of Overreported Psychopathology With the MMPI-2-RF Validity Scales.” (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-24850-001.) We examined the utility of the validity scales on the recently released Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2 RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) to detect overreported psychopathology. This set of validity scales includes a newly developed scale and revised versions of the original MMPI-2 validity scales. We used an analogue, experimental simulation in which MMPI-2 RF responses (derived from archived MMPI-2 protocols) of undergraduate students instructed to overreport psychopathology (in either a coached or noncoached condition) were compared with those of psychiatric inpatients who completed the MMPI-2 under standardized instructions. The MMPI-2 RF validity scale Infrequent Psychopathology Responses best differentiated the simulation groups from the sample of patients, regardless of experimental condition. No other validity scale added consistent incremental predictive utility to Infrequent Psychopathology Responses in distinguishing the simulation groups from the sample of patients. Classification accuracy statistics confirmed the recommended cut scores in the MMPI-2 RF manual (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining comorbidity and posttraumatic stress disorder in a Vietnam veteran population using the MMPI-2

Examined the discriminant validity of the MMPI-2 in assessing comorbidity in a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Vietnam veteran population. The Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-R (SCID) was used to diagnose veterans and to classify them into four groups: PTSD Only, PTSD with mood disorders, PTSD with other anxiety disorders, and PTSD with mood and anxiety disorders. All groups had clinical elevations on scales F, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 0, PK, and PS, with peak elevations on scales 8, 7, and 2. The PTSD Only group's MMPI-2 scores were not significantly lower than other groups' scores. The PTSD+Mood/Anxiety group was significantly more elevated on scales 2 and 7 than the PTSD Only and PTSD+Anxiety group but did not otherwise show significantly higher scale elevations than others groups. No significant differences existed between groups on scales F, L, K, PK, and PS. Implications of these results for PTSD and the current diagnostic system are explored.     

MMPI—2 findings in schizophrenia and depression.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 profile differences between patients with a discharge diagnosis of schizophrenia (n?=?42) vs. depression (n?=?42) were investigated. Multivariate analyses of variance indicated significant multivariate effects associated with diagnosis for the basic validity and clinical scales and for the content scales. The depression group obtained significantly higher mean scale scores on Scales 2 (Depression), 4 (Psychopathic Deviate), 7 (Psychasthenia), O (Social Introversion), Anxiety, Depression (DEP), and Social Discomfort. In an attempt to replicate work by Y. S. Ben-Porath, J. N. Butcher, & J. R. Graham (1991), a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to predict diagnosis, with similar findings obtained. Scale 2 was identified as the 1 significant clinical scale predictor. Two content scales, DEP and Bizarre Mentation, were identified as contributing significantly to prediction beyond Scale 2. When the order of the analysis was reversed, none of the basic clinical and validity scales contributed beyond prediction afforded by the content scales. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depressive symptom differences in hospitalized, medically ill, depressed psychiatric inpatients and nonmedical controls.

This study compared depressive and anxious symptoms in chronic medically ill individuals and depressed psychiatric inpatients using conceptually based standardized measures of cognitions and symptoms. Seventy-five hospitalized medical patients, 52 depressed psychiatric inpatients, and 25 normal controls were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 1987), the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire, Hamilton Rating Scales of Anxiety and Depression, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales, Beck Depression Inventory, Cognitions Checklist, and Hopelessness Scale. Analysis revealed that depression in medical patients was best distinguished by symptoms of anhedonia, low positive affect, and physiological hyperarousal, whereas syndromal depression in psychiatric inpatients was specifically characterized by negative cognition symptoms. Implications are discussed for assessing depression in medically ill populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computerized adaptive assessment with the MMPI-2 in a clinical setting.

Comparability, validity, and impact of loss of information of a computerized adaptive administration of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) were assessed in a sample of 140 Veterans Affairs hospital patients. The countdown method (J. N. Butcher et al, see record 1986-10763-001) was used to adaptively administer Scales L (Lie) and F (Frequency), the 10 clinical scales, and the 15 content scales. Participants completed the MMPI-2 twice, in 1 of 2 conditions: computerized conventional test–retest, or computerized conventional–computerized adaptive. Mean profiles and test–retest correlations across modalities were comparable. Correlations between MMPI-2 scales and criterion measures supported the validity of the countdown method, although some attenuation of validity was suggested for certain health-related items. Loss of information incurred with this mode of adaptive testing has minimal impact on test validity. Item and time savings were substantial. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 in police officer selection: Normative data and relation to the Inwald Personality Inventory.

Normative data on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) for police officer applicants can be useful to psychologists involved in law enforcement selection. The relation of the MMPI-2 to an established police officer screening tool—the Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI)—helps practitioners evaluate the validity of the MMPI-2. The MMPI-2 and IPI were administered to 467 police officer applicants. MMPI-2 profiles were defensive, with elevations on L and K, low scores on Scales 2 and 0, and extreme Scale 5 scores. Correlations with the IPI were moderate for MMPI-2 clinical scales but substantial for two validity scales. MMPI-2 K correction influenced correlations considerably, a finding with implications for interpretation of MMPI-2 data on police officer applicants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Overreporting of closed-head injury symptoms on the MMPI-2.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) validity scales were compared in 4 groups: nonclinical participants answering under standard instructions (n?=?20), nonclinical participants instructed to fake closed-head injury (CHI) symptoms (n?=?18), non-compensation-seeking CHI patients (n?=?31), and compensation-seeking CHI patients (n?=?30). The highest scores on MMPI-2 overreporting scales were obtained by nonclinical participants faking CHI, and significantly higher scores on these scales were obtained by compensation-seeking relative to non-compensation-seeking CHI patients. These results suggest that MMPI-2 overreporting scales are sensitive to fabrication of CHI complaints, and possibly to exaggeration of CHI complaints, although further research is necessary to evaluate the latter hypothesis fully. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A racial comparison of combat veterans evaluated for PTSD

This study attempted to replicate the work of Frueh, Smith, and Libet (1996), which showed racial differences on psychological measures of dissociation/thought disturbance and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) F-K index in combat veterans evaluated for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, a fixed-response format version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-FRF), and MMPI-2 prior to treatment at a Veterans Affairs hospital outpatient PTSD clinic. Contrary to expectation, significant racial differences on the DES-FRF, MMPI-2 validity scales, and MMPI-2 Scales 6 and 8 were not found. Consistent with the previous study, no racial differences on measures of anxiety, depression, or PTSD symptomatology were found; nor were there racial differences on clinician ratings of global assessment of functioning or on most categories of psychiatric diagnoses. This suggests that Black and White combat veterans evaluated for PTSD do not differ with regard to reported manifestation or severity of psychopathology.     

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form in National Guard soldiers screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2 RF) was administered to 251 National Guard soldiers who had recently returned from deployment to Iraq. Soldiers were also administered questionnaires to identify posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). On the basis of responses to the screening instruments, the National Guard soldiers who produced a valid MMPI-2 RF were classified into four groups: 21 soldiers who screened positive for PTSD only, 33 soldiers who screened positive for mTBI only, 9 soldiers who screened positive for both conditions, and 166 soldiers who did not screen positive for either condition. Results showed that the MMPI-2 RF was able to differentiate across the groups with the MMPI-2 RF specific problem scale Anxiety adding incrementally to MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical scales in predicting PTSD. Both MMPI-2 RC1 (Somatic Complaints) and MMPI-2 RF head pain complaints predicted mTBI screen but did not add incrementally to each other. Of note, all of the MMPI-2 RF validity scales associated with overreporting, including Symptom Validity—Revised (FBS-r), were not significantly elevated in the mTBI group. These findings support the use of the MMPI-2 RF in assessing PTSD in non–treatment-seeking veterans. This further suggests that a positive screen for mTBI alone is not associated with significant emotional disturbance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The MMPI–2 Restructured Clinical Scales in the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid disorders”: Correction.

Reports an error in "The MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical Scales in the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid disorders" by Erika J. Wolf, Mark W. Miller, Robert J. Orazem, Mariann R. Weierich, Diane T. Castillo, Jaime Milford, Danny G. Kaloupek and Terence M. Keane (Psychological Assessment, 2008[Dec], Vol 20[4], 327-340). The URL for the supplemental material was incomplete. The complete URL is http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0012948.supp (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-17693-002.) This study examined the psychometric properties of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) Restructured Clinical Scales (RCSs) in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) receiving clinical services at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. Study 1 included 1,098 men who completed the MMPI-2 and were assessed for a range of psychological disorders via structured clinical interview. Study 2 included 136 women who completed the MMPI-2 and were interviewed with the Clinician Administered Scale for PTSD. The utility of the RCSs was compared with that of the Clinical Scales (CSs) and the Keane PTSD (PK) scale. The RCSs demonstrated good psychometric properties and patterns of associations with other measures of psychopathology that corresponded to current theory regarding the structure of comorbidity. A notable advantage of the RCSs compared with the MMPI-2 CSs was their enhanced construct validity and clinical utility in the assessment of comorbid internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. The PK scale demonstrated incremental validity in the prediction of PTSD beyond that of the RCSs or CSs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of culture-specific Variable Response Inconsistency and True Response Inconsistency Scales for use with the Korean MMPI-2.

In response to the concern that Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; J. N. Butcher, W. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989; J. N. Butcher et al., 2001) Variable Response Inconsistency (VRIN) and True Response Inconsistency (TRIN) score invalidity criteria recommended for use with American samples results in an excessive number of exclusions in Asian samples (F. M. Cheung, W. Z. Song, & J. X. Zhang, 1996), we examined the cross cultural equivalence of the original VRIN and TRIN scales, and developed and validated Korean-specific VRIN and TRIN scales with Korean adult normative, clinical, and college samples. Although the results from item pair correlation analyses suggested the superiority of the Korean VRIN and TRIN over the original VRIN and TRIN, the mean comparison results and classification accuracy statistics using data with varying degrees of randomly inserted true and/or false responses did not reveal a strong advantage of one version over the other. We present and discuss plausible causes of the findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chinese MMPI profiles among neurotic patients.

The Chinese Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of 1,112 neurotic patients were scored with the Chinese norm, the original MMPI norm, and the MMPI—2 Uniform T scores. In comparison with the Chinese normative sample, the neurotic profiles were elevated on all the clinical scales except Scale 5 (Mf). The neurotic patients also scored higher than schizophrenic patients on Scales 1 (Hs), 2 (D), 3 (Hy), 7 (Pt), 8 (Sc), and 0 (Si). The Chinese normative profiles produced typical neurotic code types of 12/21, 13/31, 23/32, and 27/72. However, the overall T score elevations of the clinical scales were much lower than those found on the American norms. Profiles based on the 3 American norms bore the characteristic peaks on Scales 2 and 8 found among Chinese samples. The authors recommend using both the Chinese and the American norms in the interpretation of the Chinese MMPI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The detection of feigned uncoached and coached posttraumatic stress disorder with the MMPI-2 in a sample of workplace accident victims.

In this study research participants completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) under standard instructions and then were asked to fake posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when completing the MMPI-2 for a 2nd time in 1 of 4 conditions with different instructions on how to fake PTSD: (a) uncoached, (b) coached about PTSD symptom information, (c) coached about MMPI-2 validity scales, or (d) coached about both symptoms and validity scales. These MMPI-2 protocols were then compared with protocols of claimants with workplace accident-related PTSD. Participants given information about the validity scales were the most successful in avoiding detection as faking. The family of F scales (i.e., F, FB, Fp), particularly Fp, produced consistently high rates of positive and negative predictive power. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)