The research base, psychometric properties, and clinical uses of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A.

Describes the revision of the instrument and summarizes some of the main features of the revised Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). Areas of discussion include goals of the MMPI restandardization, the MMPI-2 normative sample, interpretation of MMPI-2 scores, what the validity and clinical scales measure, new MMPI-2 content scales and new validity measures, and the revised adolescent form. Comments by P. Horvath and G. C. Fekken in support of the MMPI-2 are included. A list of references for more information on the MMPI-2 follows. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment research in correctional settings: Methodological issues and practical problems.

With prison populations at record levels, classification and programming based on individual assessments are needed to allocate resources efficiently. However, there is a dearth of assessment research in correctional settings, partly because few psychologists are prepared for the special challenges posed by correctional research. This article discusses the methodological and practical problems that are especially common in or unique to assessment research in correctional settings, especially in prisons. It examines the distinctive culture of correctional institutions and the special concerns of their staffs; reviews considerations peculiar to planning prison-based studies; describes difficulties that may be encountered in obtaining approval by correctional institutions, funding agencies, and human subject review boards; and presents problems that may be encountered in collecting the data and in analyzing and interpreting the results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Common methodological problems in MMPI research.

Indicates that research with the MMPI continues at a high rate and suggests that too many articles submitted and even accepted for publication are methodologically weak. This article discusses some common methodological problems involving the use of the MMPI that were encountered in the course of reviewing articles submitted for publication. These problems involve the use of the MMPI as an all-purpose measure sensitive to "normal range" personality attributes, scale proliferation, limited-validity short forms, errors in assessing profile change, and erroneous interpretations of group data. Some suggestions for improving research designs are made. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological issues and racial (black-white) comparisons on the MMPI.

Compared the MMPI profiles of 160 white and 160 black psychiatric patients matched for sex, socioeconomic status (education and occupation), hospital status, age, and duration of illness. Phase 1 analysis used all profiles, while Phase 2 (n = 116) was limited to valid profiles. Results show that (a) race was a primary source of variance, (b) dependent measures were not entirely comparable, and (c) application of selection criteria was a powerful parameter influencing outcome. Blacks elevated Scales F, 1, 5, 8, 9, and the overall profile mean, elevated Scale 8 as the highest and Scale 1 as the 2nd-highest code, and produced more 8-6 and 2-4 codes than whites. Whites elevated Scale 3 and 7 as the highest and 2nd-highest point codes, and produced 2-7 and 4-7 codes more frequently. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Methodological issues in research with refugees and immigrants.

A growing number of psychologists are becoming involved in research with migrants, particularly those from developing countries. This article highlights the unique methodological difficulties in research with refugees and immigrants. The main examples given are from Indochinese refugees and Pacific Island immigrants to New Zealand. Six areas of difficulty are identified: (1) contextual differences between migrants and the receiving society, (2) conceptual problems with translation of instruments, (3) sampling difficulties, (4) linguistic problems, (5) observation of etiquette, and (6) personality characteristics of researchers. Recommendations are made to resolve some of the difficulties encountered in each area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological issues in assisted suicide and euthanasia research.

A growing body of research has addressed various aspects of the assisted suicide debate. However, this literature is plagued by methodological shortcomings and limitations. This review describes the primary methodological issues and difficulties found in the existing assisted suicide and euthanasia literature. The methodological issues discussed fall into several broad categories, including difficulties in operationalizing and measuring dependent variables, sampling constraints and biases, confounding influences on independent variables, and statistical considerations. These issues are discussed along with implications for the interpretation of the results reported. Where possible, potential solutions are offered, along with recommendations for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological issues in research with correctional populations.

Methodological issues confronting psychologists who conduct research with correctional populations are examined in 5 major areas: (a) the intrusion of values; (b) problems with trait-derived methodologies in correctional population research, including inadequate construct validity, ignoring environmental influences, and ignoring Ss; (c) naturalness and the problem of external validity; (d) recidivism; and (e) ethics. General recommendations are offered for each section. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinicians' perceptions of the comparability of the MMPI and MMPI-2.

Determined whether experienced MMPI users perceive the MMPI and MMPI-2 as yielding clinically comparable results. Clinical psychologists (N?=?35) reviewed pairs of MMPI and MMPI-2 profiles derived from the same test responses and estimated that 92–96% of their diagnoses and 89–93% of their narrative interpretations would be essentially the same or only slightly different from one version of the instrument to the other, whereas only 0–3% of either their diagnoses or reports would be quite different. MMPI-2 profiles with poorly defined code types were likely to be viewed as somewhat different or quite different from the MMPI. Low-ranging MMPI-2 profiles were most apt to be poorly defined and, correspondingly, most likely to be viewed as different from the MMPI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Equivalence of the MMPI-2 with the MMPI in psychiatric patients.

Psychiatric patients were administered the MMPI, its revision (MMPI-2), or both, in a counterbalanced repeated-measures design. MMPI-2 T scores were found to be significantly lower than MMPI T scores on several of the clinical scales. S rank order on T scores and dispersion of the basic clinical scales did not differ between the tests, and measures of profile similarity indicated congruence between the 2 instruments. Among Ss who completed both the MMPI and the MMPI-2, code-type concordance was not significantly lower than stability rates of the tests. Results support the assignment of 65T as the lower boundary of clinical elevation on the MMPI-2 and the psychometric equivalence of the MMPI-2 and the MMPI with respect to mean T scores, score rankings, and measures of score distribution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MMPI and MMPI-2 performance of the Chinese: Cross-cultural applicability.

Psychologists are being increasingly asked to evaluate culturally diverse individuals, and it is critical that assessment instruments be appropriately adapted to the populations being evaluated. Chinese Americans have been underrepresented in the normative samples of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI; S. R. Hathaway & J. C. McKinley, 1983) and the revised MMPI (MMPI-2; J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegan, & B. Kaemmer, 1989), and research with exclusive Chinese samples in the United States is lacking. Adaptability studies of the Chinese MMPI in Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China, however, have demonstrated the instrument's clinical utility. In this article, MMPI and MMPI-2 studies with Chinese are reviewed. Implications of the instrument's applicability to Chinese in the United States are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnicity and psychopathology: A meta-analytic review of 31 years of comparative MMPI/MMPI-2 research.

Meta-analyses were performed on 25 comparative Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and MMPI-2 studies of 1,428 male African Americans versus 2,837 male European Americans, 12 studies of 1,053 female African Americans versus 1,470 female European Americans, and 13 studies of 500 male Latino Americans and 1,345 male European Americans. Aggregate effect sizes suggest higher scores for ethnic minority groups than for European Americans on some MMPI/MMPI-2 scales and lower scores on others. However, none of the aggregate effect sizes suggest substantive differences from either a statistical or clinical perspective. The MMPI and MMPI-2 apparently do not unfairly portray African Americans and Latinos as pathological. Effect sizes across studies generally did not vary as a function of sociodemographic variables, research setting, or use of the MMPI versus MMPI-2. It is recommended that additional between- and within-ethnic groups psychopathology research continue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological issues and problems in the assessment of substance use.

Three general types of methodologic issues that are particularly salient in research involving assessment of substance use or substance-abusing populations are highlighted: (1) the reliability and validity of self-report, collateral, and biological methods of assessing substance use, (2) the variability and episodic course of substance use disorders, and (3) the heterogeneity of individuals with substance use disorders. Within each of these general areas, several common methodologic problems in assessment research, as well as strategies for avoiding or minimizing these problems, are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological issues in assessment research with ethnic minorities.

Assessment research on ethnic minorities presents multiple methodological and conceptual challenges. This article addresses the difficulties in defining and examining ethnicity as a variable in psychological research. The authors assert that many of the problems stem from not making explicit the assumptions underlying the use of ethnicity as an explanatory variable and from inadequately describing cultural and contextual characteristics of ethnic minority samples. Also raised are common methodological problems encountered in examining race, ethnicity, and culture in assessment research, such as decisions regarding which populations to study, sampling methodologies, measure selection, method of assessment, and interpretation of results. Finally, some guidelines are offered for tackling some of the methodological dilemmas in assessment research with ethnic minorities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative accuracy of the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-A in the diagnosis of psychopathology in 18-year-olds.

Both the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) may be administered to 18-year-olds. Each test was administered to 18-year-old participants classified as psychopathology present (PP) or psychopathology absent (PA) to assess (a) the degree of correspondence between the 2 test versions in yielding clinically elevated or nonclinically elevated profiles and (b) the relative accuracy of the 2 test versions in identifying the presence of psychopathology. The 2 tests produced profiles that were inconsistent in clinical elevation status in 70 of 152 participants (46%). All 70 participants with incongruent profiles had clinically elevated MMPI-2 scores and normal-range MMPI-A scores. Analyses of incongruent profiles obtained by PP and PA participants indicated that 18-year-olds were overpathologized by the MMPI-2 and underpathologized by the MMPI-A. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Humor, laughter, and physical health: Methodological issues and research findings.

All published research examining effects of humor and laughter on physical health is reviewed. Potential causal mechanisms and methodological issues are discussed. Laboratory experiments have shown some effects of exposure to comedy on several components of immunity, although the findings are inconsistent and most of the studies have methodological problems. There is also some evidence of analgesic effect of exposure to comedy, although similar findings are obtained with negative emotions. Few significant correlations have been found between trait measures of humor and immunity, pain tolerance, or self-reported illness symptoms. There is also little evidence of stress-moderating effects of humor on physical health variables and no evidence of increased longevity with greater humor. More rigorous and theoretically informed research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about possible health benefits of humor and laughter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological issues in treatment effectiveness and outcomes research

The authors define treatment effectiveness and outcomes research, then discuss three critical methodological issues that if not appropriately resolved, can invalidate the findings of such studies. The three issues are research design, comparability of treatment groups, and approaches to measurement. These issues must be considered when the quality and contribution of findings from treatment effectiveness and outcomes research are evaluated.     

Introduction: Methodological issues in school-based mental health services research.

New research directions on the effectiveness of mental health services for children and adolescents offer the opportunity for school psychology to apply its knowledge base to the systemic juncture between mental health and school systems. Models of service delivery to children, adolescents, and their families that integrate school, mental health, and other service sectors are being actively studied to answer questions about the outcomes of these services for children with mental health problems. The papers in this journal were first presented at the 6th Annual Research Conference of the Florida Mental Health Institute on "A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base." The papers describe state-of-the art studies of school-based mental health interventions for children, adolescents, and their families. In each of the papers, particular attention is paid to the salient methodological issues researchers face in conducting these studies within school settings. It is hoped that these articles will foreground the healthy and creative tensions that exist between different research paradigms and multiple service communities, especially mental health and school systems, by encouraging new research on important and as yet unanswered questions about the effectiveness of school-based service delivery to children and adolescents with mental health needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical comparability of the standard MMPI and the MMPI-168.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 17(5) of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (see record 2008-10955-002). In this article, the copyright information was incorrect. The corrected copyright information is included in the erratum.] Examined the clinical correspondence of the full-scale Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the MMPI-168 on a psychiatric screening sample of 210 men (mean age 43.27 yrs). The present results fail to replicate previous optimistic findings regarding the worth of the MMPI-168 and accent the need for caution in any further use of this abbreviated instrument. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of the MMPI and the MMPI-2 for a sample of peace officers.

166 peace officers completed the MMPI and the MMPI-2 in one sitting. Results showed an overall concordance of 78% for the 2 tests when normal, high-point, and 2-point code types were grouped together and compared. A subset of well-defined profiles produced a concordance rate of 90%. Comparison of profile characteristics showed that half of the Ss produced the same high-point code type, one-third produced the same 2-point code type, 70% produced normal profiles on both tests, and all MMPI and MMPI-2 scales were highly correlated. These figures are highly similar to those found previously for 2 administrations of the MMPI. When the MMPI was compared to the MMPI-2 scored on original norms, 2 scales were found to differ significantly: Men and women both scored lower on Scale D (Depression) of the revised test; on Scale Mf (Masculinity-Femininity) of the MMPI-2, women scored higher and men scored lower. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)