The Wechsler in personality assessment: Object assembly subtest as predictive of bodily concerns.

Examined the relationship between WAIS Object Assembly test and MMPI scores using 76 college students. No significant differences were found between Ss scoring low or not low on the Object Assembly test for any of the MMPI scales or for any of the Hs scale items. Results do not support the hypothesis that bodily concerns can be predicted by low WAIS Object Assembly scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sleep fantasy in normal and schizophrenic persons.

Used the Dream-like Fantasy Scale of D. Foulkes to assess the bizarreness of the fantasy content from the REM and NREM sleep reports of 3 groups of Ss: 8 19-22 yr. old schizophrenic patients, 10 "normal" college students with MMPI Schizophrenia (ScK) scores above 70, and 14 college students with MMPI ScK scores below 70. It was hypothesized that hallucinatory fantasy would be confined to REM sleep least for patients, next for normals with high ScK scores, and most for normals with low ScK scores. REM fantasy was found to be significantly different between groups, with low-ScK normals scoring highest. NREM fantasy was also significantly different between groups, with high-ScK normals scoring highest. Patients who were actively hallucinating during the day showed no difference between REM and NREM fantasy scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Demand characteristic effects on the subtle and obvious subscales of the MMPI

The MMPI was administered to 40 undergraduate students with 20 subjects asked to imagine that they were applying for a job and 20 subjects asked to imagine that they were applying for psychotherapy. Subjects in the job group dissimulated (faked good) and those in the therapy group malingered (faked bad) as evidenced by differences between the subtle and obvious scores. The combined subtle and obvious score was higher for the psychotherapy group. It was concluded that the subtle, obvious, and combined subtle and obvious scores on the MMPI were a function of the demand characteristics of the testing situation.     

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)     

Education and MMPI Mf scores in homosexual and heterosexual males.

Investigated the relationship between MMPI Mf, Hsx, and education in 64 heterosexual and 49 homosexual men. Ss were obtained from a variety of sources, were generally older than college students, and averaged between 2 and 3 yr. of college education. The groups differed significantly on Mf, Hsx, and Kinsey self-ratings. MMPI scale differences were found on F, K, D, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, and Si. Correlations of .20 and .27 were found between education and the Mf and Hsx scores. Data indicate that Mf was a better discriminator between the homosexual and heterosexual groups than Hsx, and was less contaminated by educational bias. It is concluded that the relationship between educational level and Mf appears to be more complex than generally assumed. (23 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality traits and persistence of interest in teaching as a vocational choice.

MMPI scores were compared for "persistent" and "nonpersistent" male and female college students. "Persistent" meant completion of a program of teacher preparation and acceptance of a teaching position after graduation; "nonpersistent" meant making application for admission to a teacher preparation program but not enrolling in the program. Significant differences between persistent and nonpersistent females in mean scores were found on five of nine MMPI scales, but only one significant difference was found for the male groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Uniform versus linear T scores on the MMPI2/MMPI in an outpatient psychiatric sample: Differential contributions.

Hypothesized that the uniform T-score procedure was one possible source of observed differences between the MMPI-2 T scores and the MMPI T scores. MMPI-2 linear T scores were computed for a sample of 200 psychiatric outpatients (mean age 38.1 yrs) whose MMPI-2 and MMPI T scores had been determined at the same point in time. Differences created by the uniform technique were slight and did not exceed 1.2 T-score points. Contrary to hypothesis, the uniform T-score procedure reduced the differences between mean MMPI-2 T-scores and the MMPI T scores on 12 of the 16 scales. These data suggest that the differences between the MMPI and MMPI-2 T scores are mainly due to differences between the normative samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response to Drs. Horvath and Fekken.

Responds to comments by P. Horvath (see record 2007-09683-001) and G. C. Fekken (see record 2007-09684-001) on the current authors' original article entitled The Research Base, Psychometric Properties and Clinical Uses of the MMPI-2 (see record 1992-25725-001). Horvath and Fekken have made a substantial contribution to the evolution of MMPI-based assessment by providing thoughtful evaluations of key issues in the revision. We appreciate both their endorsement of the improved aspects as well as the questions and critiques they skillfully raise. In the limited space allotted to us, we will try to respond to the major issues. Both Horvath and Fekken, while noting the ways in which MMPI-2 improves the original instrument, point out apparent deficiencies in the original instrument that were not eliminated. The current authors contend that regardless of its psychometric ugliness and somewhat archaic aspects, the MMPI has worked extremely well as a screening instrument for psychopathology. Second, Fekken raises an important concern about the validity of the MMPI-2. Two published studies are cited to debate this critique. Third, Fekken cites the work of Duckworth which reports apparent "differences" between the profiles of some participants who took both the original and revised MMPI. Unfortunately, Duckworth's report fails to address a fundamental prerequisite of experimental design: the test-retest variable. Fourth, Horvath, in his critique of the original MMPI, questions validity generalization. However, the cited research did not study the original MMPI instrument but rather an abbreviated derivation or approximation of the test, the Minimult, which utilizes only 81 of the original MMPI items. Fifth, both Horvath and Fekken note that there are additional aspects about the revision process, the psychometric properties, and the applicability of the MMPI-2 that were not addressed in our original article. These are significant issues that deserve a much more detailed response than we can render in this brief response. However, these issues have been and continue to be addressed in the research literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of successful and unsuccessful students in the medical school at the University of Minnesota.

Test performance of 215 passing medical students was compared with that of 29 drop-outs because of scholastic failure. Mean score differences were computed for 9 measures, including high school rank, 2 honor-point ratio (grade) measures, ACE, Coop English Test, Medical College Admission Test, Minn. Medical Aptitude Test, SVIB, MMPI. Successful students make significantly higher pre-med course grades, Minn. Medical Aptitude Test scores, ACE scores, and lower scores on the L-scale of the MMPI. The other variable yielded only uncertain or no differentiation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Standardization of the Chinese MMPI–A in Hong Kong: A preliminary study.

The Chinese Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—Adolescents (MMPI—A) was applied in Hong Kong to a normative sample of 565 male and 664 female students ages 14–18. The Chinese adolescents' MMPI–A T scores based on the U.S. adolescent norms were elevated more than 1 SD on Scale 2. Similar elevations were found on Scale L (Lie) for the female students and on Scale A-lse (Adolescent Low Self-Esteem) for the male students. Moderate elevations were also shown on several scales, although none of the clinical scales exceeded a T score of 65, the clinical cutoff point based on U.S. norms. Whether these elevations were due to cultural differences in item interpretation or higher levels of psychopathology among the Hong Kong students cannot be concluded from the present data. However, previous findings on the Chinese MMPI favors the former explanation. These cultural differences should be taken into consideration in clinical interpretations of elevated scores on the Chinese MMPI—A. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A test of the voluntarism hypothesis among nonvolunteering opiate addicts who voluntarily return to treatment.

Research on the voluntarism hypothesis, which holds that self-reported psychopathology is greater on MMPI clinical scales among addicts who enter treatment on their own volition than among those who do not, has been plagued by differences in treatment settings, types of voluntarism, and lack of experimental designs. Experimental design deficiencies were corrected in the present study, where MMPI scores of 20 former nonvolunteering addicts who voluntarily returned for treatment were compared with 20 matched addicts who had volunteered on both 1st and 2nd admissions. The voluntarism hypothesis was supported. Former nonvolunteers evidenced significantly higher MMPI scores on 2nd admission for scales F, Mf, Pt, Sc, and Si. Volunteers did not significantly differ between 1st and 2nd admissions. Findings underscore the necessity for continuing to improve methods in addiction research. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adapting the MMPI for use in assessing late adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago

In this study, the original Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was modified slightly by rewording ten items to fit the vernacular of English employed by young men and women in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The response alternatives were extended to include a "don't understand" answer in addition to "true" and "false." To determine the effectiveness of the MMPI for use in this cultural setting, 202 male and 246 female high school students between the ages of 15 and 20 years were examined. Two clinical groups also were studied: 26 male and 32 female adolescents in psychiatric treatment, as well as 49 male and 14 female juvenile offenders incarcerated for various delinquent acts. The retest stability of the basic MMPI scores was evaluated by readministering the MMPI one week later to samples of normal males and females. Validity scale data indicated that these late adolescents were responding to the MMPI in ways comparable to normal and clinical groups in the United States. The results of this investigation support the use of the MMPI in the appraisal of emotional problems of adolescents seen in both the mental health and criminal justice systems in Trinidad and Tobago.     

Psychotherapy process variables distinguishing the inherently helpful person from the professional psychotherapist.

Therapeutic hours conducted by analytically oriented, experientially oriented, and nonprofessional ("inherently helpful" college professors) therapists were rated along 8 process dimensions—therapist exploration, therapist directiveness, feeling attention, task orientation, therapeutic relationship, patient exploration, patient negativism, and patient psychic distress. Patients were 25 unmarried male college students with elevated scores on MMPI Scales 2, 7, and 0 who were participating in a psychotherapy outcome study. Two advanced clinical psychology graduate students independently rated videotapes of each 3rd therapy session on the Vanderbilt Psychotherapy Process Scale. Between-group differences were obtained on 6 of the 8 dimensions. Only patient negativism and patient exploration failed to yield significant effects. These results replicate the findings of previous analog investigations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using the Megargee MMPI-based classification system with the MMPI-2s of female prison inmates.

This study extends Megargee's Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-based classification system to female offenders. MMPI-2s of 400 women in state and federal prisons were rescored and reconfigured to estimate their original MMPI profiles. Their MMPIs and MMPI-2s were classified according to the rules devised for the original MMPI. Next, the MMPI-2s were reclassified using new rules for classifying the MMPI-2s of male offenders. Neither approach led to satisfactory agreement between MMPI and MMPI-2. A major problem was that Scale 5 was more prominent in the women's MMPI-2 profiles than on their MMPIs. Using revised rules for classifying the original MMPIs and the MMPI-2s of female offenders, 386 of the 400 women (97%) could be classified on both versions of the MMPI, of whom 336 (87%) were classified identically. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The new uniform T scores for the MMPI—2: Rationale, derivation, and appraisal.

Although normative distributions of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 (MMPI—2) clinical and content scales tend to be positively skewed, individual scales differ in degree of skewness. The linear T scores in use with the original MMPI preserve these skewness differences. For the MMPI—2, a Uniform T (UT score) transformation has been adopted. Its target distribution is the positively skewed composite (or prototypical) linear T score distribution of MMPI—2 clinical scales. UT scores are percentile comparable, yet, unlike normalized T scores, depart minimally from the familiar linear T scores. The authors describe the UT score derivation, report degree of percentile comparability achieved, and argue that the positive skewness of the UT-score distributions, besides minimizing discontinuity, is conceptually meaningful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Abbreviating MMPI item administration: What can be learned from the MMPI for the MMPI—2?

Some researchers concerned over the length of theMinnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), have attempted to reduce item administration yet provide equivalent, interpretable scales. This article reviews the research on reduced item-administration procedures for the MMPI, addressing issues related to the use of shortened forms. The MMPI has recently undergone a major revision, and the MMPI—2 is available; however, the issues discussed here have relevance to the revised instrument, as it is about the same length as the original. Three basic strategies for reducing item administration have been developed: abbreviating the administration by having the S respond only to items on the basic validity and clinical scales (about 399 in the original MMPI and 370 in the MMPI—2); actually reducing the number of items on the standard scales (short form); and using adaptive item-administration strategies to reduce the number of items presented. Future item-abbreviation issues and strategies are discussed. (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)     

Correlates of the MMPI-2-RF in a college setting.

The current study examined empirical correlates of scores on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF; A. Tellegen & Y. S. Ben-Porath, 2008; Y. S. Ben-Porath & A. Tellegen, 2008) scales in a college setting. The MMPI–2–RF and six criterion measures (assessing anger, assertiveness, sex roles, cognitive failures, social avoidance, and social fear) were administered to 846 college students (nmen = 264, nwomen = 582) to examine the convergent and discriminant validity of scores on the MMPI–2–RF Specific Problems and Interest scales. Results demonstrated evidence of generally good convergent score validity for the selected MMPI–2–RF scales, reflected in large effect size correlations with criterion measure scores. Further, MMPI–2–RF scale scores demonstrated adequate discriminant validity, reflected in relatively low comparative median correlations between scores on MMPI–2–RF substantive scale sets and criterion measures. Limitations and future directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of dissimulation on the MMPI by means of the "lie detector."

"The MMPI was administered in group form to approximately 300 undergraduate students. From this group 13 were selected who showed evidence of dissimulation. Nine appeared to be "faking good" and four "faking bad." These 13 Ss were each carefully matched with control Ss who had similar raw-score MMPI profiles with no evidence of dissimulation. All Ss were again given the MMPI while being tested by a Keeler Polygraph. The findings tended to support the value of the validating scales, although many specific hypotheses were not verified in a statistically significant manner. Implications of these findings were discussed." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)