Validity of selected MMPI–A content scales.

The authors examined the convergent and discriminant validity of selected Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—Adolescent (MMPI–A) content scales, including Anxiety, Depression, Health Concerns, Alienation, Anger, Conduct Problems, and Social Discomfort. Sixty-two adolescent psychiatric inpatients completed the MMPI–A and a battery of self-report measures of constructs similar to those measured by the content scales. Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity was generally strong, although the Anxiety and Depression content scales did not discriminate well between these 2 constructs. This finding is discussed in terms of L. A. Clark and D. Watson's (1991) tripartite model of anxiety and depression. Overall, findings support the validity and potential utility of the content scales. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of mean scores on MMPI scales.

The accuracy of an equation for predicting raw score means on personality scales, based upon social desirability consideration, was tested using 57 MMPI scales. It was found that 25% of the predicted means were in error by less than 1 point, 51% by 2 points or less, and 70% by 3 points or less. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of mean scores on MMPI scales: A reply.

The practical utility of Edwards' prediction equation was re-examined as well as other psychometric issues raised by him. It was concluded again that the SD scale is not an effective substitute for the MMPI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A validity check on MMPI scales of responsibility and dominance.

This study presents evidence on the validity and limits of applicability of the MMPI portion of the responsibility scale and the dominance scale. "25 Minneapolis fire captains did not differ significantly from 262 Minneapolis firemen in mean scores obtained on the MMPI items of the social responsibility and dominance scales. If the attainment of a captaincy is granted as an appropriate criterion, the data appear to constitute evidence against the validity of at least the MMPI portion of the responsibility scale. The criterion may be less appropriate with respect to Dominance." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI overlap item scales for differentiating psychotics, neurotics, and nonpsychiatric groups.

To test the hypothesis that overlapping items of MMPI scales measure factors common to the criterion groups associated with the scales, 3 scales were constructed: Neurotic Overlap, Psychotic Overlap, and Maladjustment Overlap. These scales were validated against clinical psychotic and neurotic groups and 2 normal control groups. Results support the hypothesis and the validity of the 3 new scales. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Female criminal violence and differential MMPI characteristics.

Used a cross-validational approach to compare MMPI scale elevations and profile patterns produced by 22 female murderers and 40 female nonviolent offenders in 2 geographic regions. Ss did not differ between groups in race distribution, age, education, age at or months served on current offense, total time incarcerated, or intellectual level. Ss also completed the Shipley-Institute of Living Scale for Measuring Intellectual Impairment and the Raven Progressive Matrices. Murderers from both prison sources produced subdued group mean profiles, whereas nonviolent offenders were characterized by elevations on Scale 4. Discriminant function classification was highly dependent on scores on Scales 4, 5, K, and A and correctly identified 82% of violent and 78% of nonviolent offenders. A principal-components analysis yielded 5 components of profile types, but only the component defined by high positive loadings for Scale 4 differentiated between the groups. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of the clinical utility of the MMPI basic scales and specific MMPI state-trait scales: A test of Dahlstrom's hypothesis.

Tested W. G. Dahlstrom's (1972) hypothesis that the clinical utility of the MMPI could be improved through the use of dimensionally pure personality trait and psychopathological state scales to supplant the present dimensionally complex clinical and validity scales. 508 male psychiatric patients (mean age, 37.7 yrs) were diagnostically categorized using a structured classification algorithm; discriminant functions were then computed first for a relatively untainted set of symptom, characterological, and validity scales, then for the basic MMPI clinical and validity scales as independent variates. Results fail to confirm Dahlstrom's hypothesis. The MMPI clinical scales distinguished diagnostic categories better than did the state and trait scales. Possible reasons for lack of confirmation of Dahlstrom's hypothesis are discussed, and alternative modes of analysis are suggested. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Discriminant validation of an MMPI measure of aggression.

An MMPI measure of aggression formed by summing scales F (Frequency), 4 (Psychopathic Deviate), and 9 (Hypomania) discriminated 3 groups of neuropsychiatric outpatients (N?=?138) defined by qualitative and quantitative differences in violent behavior. Results indicate that the group differences cannot be attributed to differences in more general factors such as age, sex, education, IQ, or degree of overall psychopathology, reflecting favorably on the measure's discriminant validity. However, there was sufficient overlap among the distributions of groups to call its clinical utility into question. Further research appears to be needed in order to better define what this scale measures as well as its range of applicability. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting prison adjustment with MMPI correctional scales.

Investigated the degree to which 8 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scales specifically derived to assess correctional criteria related to 6 criteria of subsequent adjustment in prison. In addition, the interrelations among the 8 scales were examined and the scales were tested for racial bias. The 8 scales were J. H. Panton's (see PA, Vols 33:8380, 36:2HD12P, 37:8181, 38:8529, and 63:4486) Adjustment to Prison—Revised, Religious Identification, Homosexuality, Habitual Criminalism, and Parole Violation; H. S. Beall and Panton's (see record 1958-04344-001) Escape; J. H. Clark's (1948) Recidivism; and J. P. Wattron's (see record 1965-01849-001) Prison Maladjustment. Ss were 1,214 inmates (mean age 22.2 yrs) at a federal correctional institution who were admitted over a 2-yr period. Although some statistically significant correlations with the criteria were obtained, their magnitude was low, indicating the scales had little practical usefulness. Comparisons of Black and White subsamples did not indicate that any of the scales are notably more or less valid for one racial group. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social desirability and Wiggins's MMPI content scales.

Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) item pool, J. S. Wiggins (1966) developed 13 scales, each with a homogeneous content. The 13 scales, along with marker scales for the 1st 3 MMPI factors, Edwards's social desirability (SD), Welsh's repression (R), and Wiggins's social desirability (Sd) respectively, were scored in the MMPI. The same scales were scored in an Experimental Multiphasic Personality Inventory (EMPI). A principal-components analysis of the 16 scales when scored in the MMPI resulted in 4 factors. A principal-components analysis of these same scales when scored in the EMPI also resulted in 4 factors. The rotated factor loadings of the scales when scored in the MMPI and when scored in the EMPI were found to be highly congruent. The SD, R, and Sd scales proved to be excellent markers for the 1st 3 factors of the MMPI and also for the 1st 3 factors of the EMPI. Results provide further evidence that the 1st MMPI factor is a social desirability factor rather than a content factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI content scales: Interpretation norms and correlations with other scales.

Derived interpretative norms for the mmpi content scales from S. Hathaway and P. Briggs's (see pa, vol. 33:1273) "revised" minnesota normative groups of 225 adult men and 315 women. Content scale norms were also presented for 183 midwestern and 203 northwestern state university undergraduate men and women. These latter norms did not differ substantially from the norms for 2,711 southern university students presented by R. Fowler and F. Coyle (see pa, vol. 43:9772). Correlations between the content scales and scales from 4 other standard personality and interest inventories suggest that the content scales represent basic dimensions of self-report that are generalizable across a variety of instruments and scale construction techniques. (29 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Manifest aggression: MMPI correlates in normal boys.

An investigation of MMPI personality characteristics of adolescent boys was conducted. Teacher and peer ratings were used to form 4 groups of Ss who differed on degree of expressed aggression. Aggression groups consisted of High Aggression (N = 21), High Middle Aggression (N = 20), Low Middle Aggression (N = 20), and Low Aggression (N = 22). Ss were group-administered an audio form of the MMPI. High-Aggression boys (although not actually delinquent) were found to be similar to delinquent boys in personality—generally rebellious, schizoid, and excitable. However, they were different in that they appeared more concerned over the effects of their behavior. Low-Aggression boys appeared more disturbed than Middle-Aggression boys and similar to High-Aggression boys in being more schizoid. However, they appeared more neurotic, withdrawn, and socially inhibited than other boys. (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Culturally diverse groups and MMPI interpretation.

In this article I suggest that culturally determined thought processes, including ethnocentrism, world view, and etic preoccupation predispose interpretation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to unintentional bias as a result of minimization of consistent group differences in item responding. Group personality as evidenced by group consciousness has been described by identity measures for Afro-Americans and acculturation indices for Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. Instruments for world view measurement have been developed from several perspectives. Research on the potential cultural content of differences in MMPI item responding by Afro-Americans and other cultural groups continues to be necessary, although a more systematic approach to interpretation that includes identity and world view measures is now feasible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Invalidity of validity scales: The case of the MMPI.

Tested the hypothesis that Ss fake personality tests by enacting a specific social role, rather than by responding in terms of personality constructs, and that such role faking cannot be detected by validity scales. In Exp I, 22 male undergraduates were able to reproduce without detection the MMPI profile of an Air Force officer but not that of a creative artist. The latter was attributed to the Ss' inaccurate conception of the artist role. However, when 10 of 21 Ss in Exp II were given an accurate conception of the artist role, they succeeded in reproducing the MMPI artist profile without detection as well. Results favor the hypothesis, provided that the Ss possess an accurate conception of the role to be simulated. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity of MMPI sex offender scales with admitters and nonadmitters.

Compared 130 male sex offenders with 239 male controls on the MMPI special scales of sexual deviance. Offenders differed from controls on 3 sexual deviance scales, but these differences were accounted for by admitters alone. Comparison of admitters with controls who had a comparable degree of psychopathology showed that the differences were not based on general psychopathology. On the same 3 sexual deviance scales, nonadmitters differed from a control group that had comparable defensiveness, showing that nonadmitters could be discriminated from nonoffenders on the basis of sexual deviance and not simply on defensiveness. The results have implications for the eventual development of procedures for assessing sexually deviant men even when they do not admit their offenses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An initial look at the redundancy of specialized MMPI scales.

Numerous specialized MMPI scales have been developed despite speculation that the information provided by such scales replicates information that can be obtained from the 13 MMPI scales of the standard profile. In the present study with 112 male and 85 female psychiatric patients and 170 male police and fire department job applicants, scores of 3 specialized MMPI scales (the Prejudice scale, the Barron Ego-Strength scale, and the MacAndrew Alcoholism scale) were found to be highly related to the scores of the standard MMPI scales. However, individual scores of the 3 specialized scales could not be accurately predicted from the standard scales. Furthermore, alcoholic and nonalcoholic psychiatric patients were more accurately identified by the 13 standard scales than by the MacAndrew Alcoholism scale. It is concluded that the 3 scales studied appear to provide information not available from the standard MMPI scales. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity of the MMPI scales for measuring twenty psychiatric dimensions.

Tested the individual validities of the 13 standard mmpi scales for predicting psychiatric symptoms. Scores on the 13 mmpi scales for 138 cooperative psychiatric patients in a general hospital were correlated with ratings of 20 symptoms made by the patients' therapists. Canonical correlation demonstrated that the mmpi and rating data intercorrelated significantly better than chance (p     

The comparability of MMPI and MMPI-2 scales and profiles.

The revised form of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) incorporates a number of changes that necessitate an investigation into the comparability of its scale scores and clinical profile to those of the original MMPI. In the current study, differences between scores obtained by 189 college students who completed both the original and revised forms of the MMPI were compared with differences between scores obtained by 188 other students who were administered the original form twice. Results indicated substantial congruence between the cross-administration stability of scores and profiles obtained by the two groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)