Profile clusters for men and women on the personality adjective check list

This study examined the major personality profiles found for men and women on the Personality Adjective Check List (Strack, 1991b). Subjects were 1,058 men and 1,194 women from a number of samples of normal adults (Strack, 1991b). Ward's (1963) agglomerative hierarchical procedure yielded five clusters for men and four for women that were replicated in subsequent K-means nonhierarchical analyses. Correlates of cluster membership obtained from subgroups of subjects on four personality measures provided strong evidence for the classification.     

The definition of sex stereotypes via the adjective check list

The Adjective Check List (ACL) was employed in the empirical definition of male and female stereotypes by 50 male and 50 female college student subjects. Judgments by male and female subjects correlated highly. There were 33 male adjectives and 30 female adjectives on which at least 75% of both sexes agreed. With a 60% agreement criterion, there were 98 male and 83 female adjectives. Both male and female stereotypes were treated as hypothetical persons and were shown to be highly deviant on standard ACL norms, with the male stereotype being more deviant and perhaps more “disturbed” than the female stereotype. It was concluded that the ACL is a promising method for the definition and study of sex stereotypes.     

Development and validation of an adjective check list to assess the Millon personality types in a normal population

A 405-item experimental Personality Adjective Check List (PACL) was refined into a 153-item form to assess the personality types outlined by Millon (1969, 1981) in a normal population. Scale construction and validation followed a method outlined by Loevinger (1957, 1972). Nine scales were developed based on the responses of 459 men and women, one for each of Millon's eight basic personalities plus an Experimental scale measuring aspects of his three more severe types. Extensive reliability and validity analyses were conducted involving over 2,200 men and women from across the United States, including a factor analysis of scales. These revealed good internal consistency for each scale, good test-retest reliability over a 3-month period, adequate factor structure, and good convergent and discriminant validity based on self-report data. Results indicated that Millon's basic types exist in normal form much as they are postulated to exist as disorders. Research efforts focusing on Millon's theory as it applies to normals may bring a more complete understanding of the entire spectrum of personality.     

The Felt Figure Replacement Technique as a personality assessment device: validity reconsidered

Conclusions from an earlier study testing the validity of the Felt Figure Replacement Technique (FFRT) were questioned and three new measures of FFRT performance were developed. The reliability of these three measures, and the conventional measure of distance error, was checked using a sample of 54 female and 49 male undergraduates at Oregon State University. These subjects also completed an established personality inventory. Three of the four FFRT measures tested proved to be reliable, and it was found that models combining the three reliable FFRT measures could yield successful predictions on the personality dimensions for females but not for males; although males and females perform similarly on the FFRT. Both groups made the same kinds of errors relative to the standard placement. Also, males and females differ on only one of the three reliable FFRT measures. It was concluded that the FFRT may yet prove a valuable assessment approach, and the implications of these conclusions for personality assessment were discussed.     

Effects of information about validity scales on underreporting of symptoms on the personality assessment inventory

We investigated the effects of information about validity scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) on underreporting of symptoms in a college student population. A group of participants completing the PAI under the standard instructions was compared to two groups of participants who had been instructed and given incentives to underreport symptoms. One of the underreporting groups was given a brief warning about the presence of scales designed to detect respondents attempting to present an unrealistically favorable impression. Results suggested that underreporting scales on the PAI are effective in discriminating standard profiles from those completed by uncoached underreporting participants but are less effective in discriminating standard profiles from those produced by participants who have been warned about the underreporting scales. The findings suggest that coaching may enable some respondents to underreport symptoms without detection.     

Convergent validity of the MCMI-III personality disorder scales and the MMPI-2 scales

The MCMI-III personality disorder scales (Millon, 1994) were empirically validated in a sample of prisoners, psychiatric inpatients, and outpatients (N = 477). The scale intercorrelations were congruent with those obtained by Millon, Davis, and Millon (1997). We conclude that our Flemish/Dutch version shows no significant differences with the original version of the MCMI-III as far as intercorrelations are concerned. Convergent validity of the MCMI-III personality disorder scales was evaluated by the correlational data between the MCMI-III personality disorder scales and the MMPI-2 clinical (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) and personality disorder (Somwaru & Ben-Porath, 1995) scales. Improved convergence was obtained compared with previous versions of the MCMI-I. Only the compulsive MCMI-III personality disorder scale remains problematic. The scale even showed negative correlations with some of the related clinical scales and with the corresponding personality disorder scales of the MMPI-2.     

Convergent validity of alternative MMPI-2 personality disorder scales

The Morey, Waugh, and Blashfield (1985) MMPI (Hathaway et al., 1989) personality disorder scales provided a significant contribution to personality disorder research and assessment. However, the subsequent revisions to the MMPI and the multiple revisions to the diagnostic criteria sets that have since occurred may have justified comparable revisions to these scales. Somwaru and Ben-Porath (1995) selected a substantially different set of items from the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) to assess Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) personality disorder diagnostic criteria. In our study, we compared the convergent validity of these alternative MMPI-2 personality disorder scales with respect to 3 self-report measures of personality disorder symptomatology in a sample of 82 psychiatric outpatients. The results suggested that Somwaru and Ben-Porath's scales are as valid as the original Morey et al. scales and might be even more valid for the assessment of borderline, antisocial, and schizoid personality disorder symptomatology.     

Extratest validity of selected personality assessment inventory scales and indicators in an inpatient substance abuse setting

The purpose of this study was to extend previous findings regarding the extratest validity of the Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 1991, 2007) scales and indicators in forensic contexts to an inpatient substance abuse setting. The Aggression Scale, and particularly the Physical Aggression subscale, related to assault history; the Suicide Scale and Suicide Probability Index related to history of suicide attempts; Antisocial Features, and particularly the Antisocial Behaviors subscale, predicted rule infractions; and the Treatment Process Index predicted treatment completion. We discuss clinical implications in the context of extant findings.     

The comparative validity of MCMI-II and MMPI-2 personality disorder scales with forensic examinees.

This study demonstrated the convergent and discriminant validity of the MMPI-2 and MCMI-II personality disorder scales with forensic examinees. Based on averaged correlational data, the scales performed comparably with previous findings in psychiatric samples. Furthermore, the scales demonstrated increased convergent correlations. Improved convergence was obtained for the Antisocial, Sadistic, Borderline, Schizotypal and Paranoid scales. Decreased convergence on the Dependent and Avoidant scales was also obtained.     

A discussion of modern versus traditional psychometrics as applied to personality assessment scales

Item response theory (IRT) methods are used by large testing firms, state agencies, and school districts to construct, analyze, and score most major aptitude, achievement, proficiency, entrance, and professional licensure exams. Personality assessment, in contrast, has not generally adopted these more powerful, modern psychometric techniques. We evaluate the possible role of IRT in the personality domain by highlighting key areas in which IRT and traditional methods differ. Although we conclude that IRT has a significant role to play in future personality measurement, there are many systemic and technical barriers to its routine application.     

An extension of construct validity for personality scales using twin-based criteria

A twin-based analysis of personality inventory scales yields information relevant to construct validity. If scales validly measure dimensions influenced developmentally either by environmental factors common to cotwins or by genetic similarities, these influences should be apparent in patterns of intraclass correlations and within-pair variance ratios for monozygotic and dizygotic pairs. Criteria for construct validity derived from adolescent twin statistics are illustrated with Wiggins' MMPI Content Scales. A type of discriminant validity indicates that some scales are not distinct in terms of the influences of familial similarity. Sex differences are examined.     

Development of a random response scale for the multiple affect adjective check list-revised

A scale was constructed to identify random responses on the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List-Revised. Items chosen were the 14 least frequently checked items and 14 most frequently checked items, plus the seven most frequently checked negative items and the seven least frequently checked positive items (total=42). The Random Response Scale successfully differentiated random protocols from those produced by 420 college students, and scores on the scale were significantly higher for the college students than for the random sample. In addition, correlations between scores on the Random Response Scale and the Communality Scale (Adjective Check List) and the NEO-FFI Conscientiousness Scale suggest its usefulness as a measure of "conscientiousness" or "dependableness."     

The use of the MMPI special scales in the assessment of delinquent personality.

The MMPI was administered to 401 adjudicated male juvenile offenders, ages 13 to 17, who had been referred to a juvenile court mental health unit for recommendations in court disposition. Mean T scores generated by 86 MMPI clinical and supplementary scales were tabulated and analyzed as to their relationships with completed court offense histories. Twenty-eight of these scales that best described and discriminated between high and low levels of recidivism, crime severity, assault, and property offenses were identified, profiled, and discussed. Data were analyzed by a suggested T-score cutoff of 1.5 standard deviations, univariate, and multivariate (discriminant) analysis. Scales that best discriminated between high and low levels of recidivism and property offenses were Pd (Psychopathic Deviance), Ma1 (Amorality), Pd2 (Authority Problems), Re (Social Responsibility), and MAC (MacAndrew Alcoholism). Low scores on Re (Social Responsibility), Es (Ego Strength), Cn (Control), and St (Social Status) best discriminated between high and low levels of crime severity. High and low levels of assault were best differentiated by Ma3 (Imperturbability), Scale 5 (Masculinity-Femininity), and Pa2 (Poignancy). Although the linear combination of Scales F, 4, 8, and 9 has some utility in the areas of recidivism and property offenses, its discriminative ability is extremely poor for levels of assault and crime severity.