Race and the differential "power" of the MMPI.

The interpretation that blacks' tendency to score higher on MMPI clinical scales is due to educational deprivation has been challenged by research in which, when educatation was held constant, race-related differences remained. Racial differences in type of psychopathology have seldom been controlled in part research. After establishing that a grester proportion of black psychiatric patients may receive a schizophrenic diagnosis (Study 1), MMPI protocols of black and white schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic psychiatric patients were obtained. All patients had received 12 or more years of education. Schizophrenics scored significantly higher on the MMPI F and Sc scales and nonschizophrenics tended to score higher on Pd. No race-related differences were observed on any of the 11 MMPI scales considered.     

The Validation of Projective Tests

There are 16 items in the standard MMPI group forms which are included twice. It was found that a number of computerized scoring services use only the first occurrence of repeated items in scoring the MMPI scales, whereas the handscoring templates use an arbitrary combination of the first and second occurrence of these items. Comparison of these conventions suggested a potential for significant differences in score, particularly on the Sc scale. Scoring a set of 126 MMPIs of chronic pain patients by both of these scoring conventions revealed differences of up to 10 T points on the Sc scale. It is recommended that a single scoring convention for the MMPI be adopted by psychologists. For several reasons we suggest that only the first occurrence of repeated items should be used for scoring purposes. In the absence of a single convention, comparisons between Sc scores on different protocols should not be made without first insuring that the protocols were scored in the same manner.     

Alternative scoring system of repeated items on the MMPI: caveat emptor

There are 16 items in the standard MMPI group forms which are included twice. It was found that a number of computerized scoring services use only the first occurrence of repeated items in scoring the MMPI scales, whereas the handscoring templates use an arbitrary combination of the first and second occurrence of these items. Comparison of these conventions suggested a potential for significant differences in score, particularly on the Sc scale. Scoring a set of 126 MMPIs of chronic pain patients by both of these scoring conventions revealed differences of up to 10 T points on the Sc scale. It is recommended that a single scoring convention for the MMPI be adopted by psychologists. For several reasons we suggest that only the first occurrence of repeated items should be used for scoring purposes. In the absence of a single convention, comparisons between Sc scores on different protocols should not be made without first insuring that the protocols were scored in the same manner.     

MMPI中国常模中量表8及量表9K校正系数的探讨

本文针对MMPI中国常模中各临床量表一般不作K分校正的建议作了实证研究。其分析了912名被试的K、Sc及Ma量表数据资料,其中有345名精神分裂症患者,111名躁狂症患者以及456名正常被试。利用半和方区分比率法和频数分析法进行分析的结果表明,为了使MMPI在辅助诊断心理失常者时达到较好的效果,①量表8原始分数需加1K校正分数;②量表9原始分数以0.2K分数进行校正较不作校正为好。由此本研究建议,在应用MMPI时应采用加K分的中国常模。     

Kinetic Family Drawings and MMPI diagnostic indicators in adolescent psychiatric inpatients

Correlations among Kinetic Family Drawings and MMPI indicators of depressive, anxiety, behavioral, and thought disorders and diagnostic category were estimated for a group of 52 adolescent psychiatric inpatients. No statistically significant values were found between test indicators and corresponding MMPI scales or diagnoses, although MMPI D and Sc scales were significantly related to diagnosis. Results do not support the concurrent or construct validity of the drawings.     

The Utility of MMPI–2–RF Scale Scores in the Differential Diagnosis of Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder

This study was designed to determine whether scores on selected Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF) scales could be used to differentiate between individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The sample was drawn from 2 psychiatric inpatient hospitals and included data from 199 individuals with SCZ and 808 individuals with MDD. A series of multivariate analyses of variance, analyses of variance, and odds ratios were calculated to determine which MMPI–2–RF scales provide the best differentiation between individuals presenting with these 2 disorders. Results indicated scales assessing internalizing dysfunction, including Emotional/Internalizing Dysfunction (EID), Restructured Clinical Scales Demoralization (RCd), Low Positive Emotions (RC2), Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI), and Self Doubt (SFD) best discriminated MDD from SCZ. Scales assessing thought dysfunction, incluidng Thought Dysfunction (THD), Restructured Clinical Scales Ideas of Persecution (RC6) and Aberrant Experiences (RC8), and Psychoticism-Revised (PSYC-r) were demonstrated to best identify SCZ. Comparisons of the examined MMPI–2–RF scales to MMPI–2 scales assessing similar constructs suggested scales from the MMPI–2–RF perform similarly to their MMPI–2 counterparts in detecting MDD or SCZ, but might have increased ability to discriminate SCZ from other conditions. Overall, results of this study suggest that scores on the examined MMPI–2–RF scales provide important information about the differential diagnosis of MDD and SCZ to clinicians working in inpatient settings.     

Assessment of PIC and MMPI scales in adolescent psychosis: a caution

This study investigated the sensitivity of two frequently used multidimensional instruments--the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)--in assessing psychotic states in adolescents. This issue arose as a result of the fact that the PSY scale on the PIC was constructed and cross-validated only on samples of children between the ages of 5 and 12 years. T-score comparisons between psychotic and nonpsychotic samples were performed, as well as Pearson correlations between PIC Psychosis (PSY) and MMPI Schizophrenia (Sc) scale T-scores. T-score comparisons indicated no significant differences between the groups on either PSY or Sc. A nonsignificant relationship between PSY and Sc scale elevations was also found. These results suggest the need for a profile-analytic approach to PIC and MMPI interpretation in identifying psychotic symptomatology in adolescents rather than PSY or Sc T-score elevation in isolation.     

MMPI predictors of mania among psychiatric inpatients

MMPI data from 64 patients with a diagnosis of manic-depressive illness, manic type, were compared with MMPI data from patients in two comparison groups--64 patients with a psychotic diagnosis other than manic-depressive illness, and 64 patients with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses. Manic patients had higher Ma scale scores for MMPI scales that assess personal distress and interpersonal difficulties (e.g., D and Si). Discriminant analysis, with the Ma, D, and Si scales as predictors, correctly classified as manic or not manic 82.5% of the patients in the derivation sample and 74.2% of the patients in the cross-validation sample. Two high-point pairs, Sc-Ma/Ma-Sc and Pa-Ma/Ma-Pa, occurred in the MMPI profiles of almost half of the manic patients but were rarely found among the profiles of other patients. The results of this study support the use of the MMPI in identifying manic patients, particularly when discriminating between mania and other types of psychosis.     

A comparison of English and Spanish (Nuñez) translation of the MMPI

As more Hispanics seek help in mental health centers, the need arises for a reliable Spanish translation of the MMPI. This present research is a preliminary attempt to study the validity of the Nu?ez translation of the MMPI, the translation most widely used in Latin America. This translation and the English MMPI were administered to a volunteer sample of 18 teenaged bilingual Hispanic women. A split-plot factorial ANOVA with one between-subjects factor(form of test) was used to analyze the K-corrected T scorns from each scale separately. On scales F, K, Hs, Pa,.and Sc, the Spanish means were significantly (p < .05) higher than the English means. Order of administration had no significant effect, and there was no significant interaction effect. These findings demonstrate that the Nu?ez translation cannot be used interchangeably with the English form of the MMPI.     

A comparison of MMPI profiles for state and private disability insurance applicants

The use of the MMPI in predicting successful rehabilitation outcomes has met with limited success. Because the motives of a disability insurance applicant may differ greatly from a disability insurance recipient, disability applicants were investigated. The MMPI scores of state disability applicants and private industrial insurance applicants were compared to a control group. Positive outcomes of test taking was possible for all three groups. Significant group differences were found for scales F, Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, and Ma. Significant sex differences were found for scales Hs, D, Hy, Mf, Pt, and Sc.     

A Comparison of Primary Alcoholics,Secondary Alcoholics,and Nonalcoholic Psychiatric Patients on the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale

The MacAndrew Alcoholism (MAC) and Sc scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were examined in four groups of 20 male patients. Comparisons were made among primary alcoholics, secondary alcoholics (i.e., alcoholic psychiatric patients), nonalcoholic psychiatric patients (mixed diagnoses), and conservatively defined, nonalcoholic schizophrenics. Primary alcoholics scored higher on the MAC scale than did secondary alcoholics and other groups; schizophrenics scored lower than all other groups. Primary alcoholics were lower on the Sc scale than schizophrenics but did not differ from other groups. The results support MacAndrew's (1981) distinction between primary and secondary alcoholics and suggest that the MAC scale may enhance differentiation among diagnoses other than alcoholism.     

A comparison of primary alcoholics, secondary alcoholics, and nonalcoholic psychiatric patients on the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale

The MacAndrew Alcoholism (MAC) and Sc scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were examined in four groups of 20 male patients. Comparisons were made among primary alcoholics, secondary alcoholics (i.e., alcoholic psychiatric patients), nonalcoholic psychiatric patients (mixed diagnoses), and conservatively defined, nonalcoholic schizophrenics. Primary alcoholics scored higher on the MAC scale than did secondary alcoholics and other groups; schizophrenics scored lower than all other groups. Primary alcoholics were lower on the Sc scale than schizophrenics but did not differ from other groups. The results support MacAndrew's (1981) distinction between primary and secondary alcoholics and suggest that the MAC scale may enhance differentiation among diagnoses other than alcoholism.     

A DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF MMPI ITEMS

A method of analysis specifically designed for binary data was applied to 100 MMPI items. Sixty, items were carefully chosen to represent the nine major clinical scales with respect to direction of keying, social desirability scale value and endorsement frequency. The remaining 40 items were randomly chosen from items not appearing on any of these scales. Although a complete solution was obtained in five dimensions, only three were retained. The three dimensions were related to scale membership, gender of the respondent and various item characteristics. The results clearly support the two major MMPI factors obtained on a scale level and additionally show a strong gender dimension.     

Unilateral brain lesions and MMPI performance: a preliminary study.

Samples of 15 Ss with right- and 20 Ss with left-hemisphere brain lesions secondary to war-related penetrating missile wounds were matched for age, education, and recency of injury and evaluated with the MMPI. Right-hemisphere lesioned Ss produced a composite profile with all scales within normal limits. In contrast, the composite profile of left-hemisphere lesioned Ss showed significant elevations on the Sc, D, and Hs clinical scales, suggesting increased psychopathological responses in such Ss. Although the general configurations of the composite MMPI profiles in the two samples were similar, significant differences in the elevation of both validity and clinical scales were obtained. The results tend to support previous findings of a depressive-catastrophic reaction in patients with lesions in the dominant hemisphere, while not supporting the euphoric-indifference response in nondominant-hemisphere lesioned Ss.     

Characteristics of the frequent nightmare sufferer.

Previous research has found that persons who experience frequent nightmares score highly on scales that measure psychotic symptomatology. Neurotic symptoms have also been implicated as correlates of nightmare frequency. In this study, 30 adult lifelong nightmare sufferers were compared with 30 control subjects, matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Subjects were asked to record all dreams for 1 month and to complete the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Nightmare subjects scored significantly higher on the EPQ Neuroticism scale and on 8 MMPI clinical scales than did the control group. These scales also best discriminated between the groups in a direct discriminant analysis. The results are interpreted as a reflection of global maladjustment rather than of specific psychotic symptomatology.     

A Study of Active Duty Military Personnel With the MMPI-2

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) has a long history of application in military settings. Our investigation is an exploration of the relevance and appropriateness of the revised version of this instrument, the MMPI-2, in military settings. The question of whether special norms are needed for use in the military was addressed. Results showed that military personnel (N = 1,156 men from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps) responded, as a group, in a manner similar to the MMPI-2 restandardized sample. Similar mean scores and factor structures were obtained. Age effects were also studied. Consistent with past research, there were clear age differences on the MMPI-2 with younger subjects producing more scale elevation, particularly on the Psychopathic Deviate (Pd), Psychastenia (Pt), Schizophrenia (Sc), and Hypomania (Ma) scales. The results of the study show that special norms for military settings are not needed.     

The evaluation of truthfulness in alleged sex offenders' self-reports: 16PF and MMPI validity scales.

The evaluation of response bias (i.e., minimization or exaggeration) is central to forensic psychological evaluations. Yet few studies have assessed forensic samples to investigate the ability of psychological tests to detect response bias. We studied the relationship between the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire (16PF) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) validity scales for 65 alleged sex offenders and assessed the effects of different cutoff scores for the 16PF validity scales. Results indicate consistent significant correlations between the validity scales of the 16PF and the MMPI for measures of minimization and exaggeration. use of a priori cutoff scores resulted in the classification of our sample in proportions parallel to those found in previous research for the 16PF Fake-Good scale but not the Fake-Bad scale. Our results indicate that 16PF validity scales are useful, but interpretations must take into account different base rates of response bias between sex offenders and the general population.     

Conversion equations for modified scoring of the MMPI-168

For a sample of 300 patients who had been administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the MMPI-168 was extracted from the full MMPI and scored to incorporate those items normally excluded by Form R keys. MMPI-168 correlations with the full MMPI ranged from .80 to .97 with a mean of .90, indicating satisfactory statistical validity, and modified scoring was shown to improve predictability for Pa and Sc. Using these data, substitution equations for transforming MMPI-168 raw scores to estimates of full-scale scores were calculated. These transformations did not differ greatly from those reported in previous research except on Pa and Sc, where additional items increase scale length substantially.     

Correlations for scores on the 180-item version of the MMPI-2 and the Neuroticism scale of the NEO-Personality Inventory

64 normal adult controls (53 men, 11 women; M age 45.2 yr.) in a study of an estuary-associated syndrome were administered the MMPI-2-180 and the Neuroticism scale from the NEO-Personality Inventory. Pearson product-moment correlations between MMPI-2 scales and the Neuroticism scale were similar to those reviously reported using the full-length MMPI. Correlations between MMPI-2 scales, D, Pt, Sc, and Si, and NEO-PI Neuroticism (range .44 to .52) suggest that many psychiatric conditions are associated with psychological distress of the type individuals high in trait neuroticism are prone to experience.