Clinical Correlates of MMPI Depression Scales

We investigated whether Scale 2 (Depression [D]) and the Wiggins Content Scale of Depression (DEP) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) have different clinical correlates when only one of these two scales is elevated. According, a group of patients who elevated DEP higher than Scale 2 (DEP > 2) were compared with a group of patients who elevated Scale 2 higher than DEP (2 > DEP). The patients with DEP > 2 were rated as being less severe than the patients with 2 > DEP on the following Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales: Somatic Concern (SOM), Emotional Withdrawal (WDRA), Depressive Mood (DEP), and Blunted Affect (AFF). The patients with DEP > 2 were rated as more severe on Excitement (EXC). The patients with DEP > 2 were more likely to receive the Axis I diagnoses of: bipolar disorder, manic, and alcohol abuse. Schizophrenia was equally probable for patients in the two groups. It appears that these two MMPI scales of depression have different clinical correlates when either one scale or the other is elevated.     

MMPI Supplemental Scale Performance of Mexican Americans and Level of Acculturation

Mexican American and Anglo American's performance on the Wiggins Content Scales, Harris-Lingoes subscales, and Serkownek subscales was assessed in a college student population, Level of acculturation (Mexican vs. Anglo orientation), age, and social class were statistically controlled, The results showed statistically significant differences between means of Anglo and Mexican Americans on most of the supplemental scales assessed. These differences were more numerous before scale validity criteria were applied. The number of statistically significant differences were further reduced when level of acculturation and age were statistically controlled, The results showed that level of acculturation is a highly important variable which moderates interpretation of the MMPI scale elevations we measured. Acculturation far outweighted the influence of the well established MMPI moderator variables of age and social class.     

A Practical Guide to the MMPI (Book)

The projective imagery, artwork, and behavior of an artistically trained psychiatric patient are presented 10 years after having committed a murder. The case is examined to see whether the Rorschach responses and the artist's choice of subject matter demonstrate the repetition compulsion familiarly associated with trauma. Additionally, does psychotherapy in which the crime is remembered serve as a stimulus to these other forms of repetition? Our case shows evidence of a continuing psychological struggle to express or deny his involvement in the murder, with phases of limited resolution.     

The MMPI,MMPI-2, and MMPI-A in Court (Book)

The factor structure of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (Millon, 1994; MCMI-III) was assessed among 444 African American inpatient substance abusers and constitutes the first factor analysis of the MCMI-III. We found 3 main factors: General Maladjustment, Paranoid Behavior/Thinking With Detached Emotionality, and Antisocial Acting Out. These factors were essentially similar to previous findings of factor studies with the MCMI and MCMI-II across diverse populations. This factor invariance should lend credibility to the revised test and spur additional research into its psychometric properties.     

Scale 4 (Pd) of the MMPI and the diagnosis antisocial personality

The MMPI and a structured diagnostic interview were administered to 225 military offenders in an attempt to determine the relationship between Scale 4 (Pd) of the MMPI and a behavioral diagnosis of Antisocial Personality (AS). Individuals satisfying criteria for a diagnosis of AS were found to score significantly higher than inmates not satisfying these criteria on Scale 4, regardless of whether K- or non-K-corrected T scores were used. Several potential moderating variables were crossed with the AS measure but only confining offense (person crime vs nonperson crime) evidenced a statistically significant interaction with AS.     

The Detection of Malingering in Criminal Forensic Groups: MMPI Validity Scales

Despite the value of the MMPI to the forensic assessment of malingering (exaggeration) of psychopathology, few studies have assessed the accuracy of the MMPI validity scales in criminal forensic populations. We administered the MMPI to 35 insanity defendants undergoing evaluation for fitness to stand trial and/or sanity at the time of the crime, who stood to benefit from being assessed as psychologically disturbed, and 39 subjects previously found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), who did not stand to gain from such an assessment. Insanity defendants showed significantly more malingering than NGRI subjects, p < .05. Racial differences did not affect the data. These findings support the efficacy of MMPI validity scales in assessing malingering within criminal forensic groups, and support the generalizability of the scales across race.     

The Relationship of MMPI and Sensation Seeking Scales to Adolescent Drug Use

This study examined the relationship of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) measure, including the MacAndrew alcoholism (MAC) scale, and the Sensation Seeking Scales (SSS) to adolescents drug use across nine drug categories. Subjects were 51 male and 72 female high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 (mean age = 16 years, 5 months). The drug use/abuse measure consisted of adolescents' self-reports on the Segal (1973) Alcohol-Drug Use Research Survey. Drug categories included for investigation were alcohol amphetamines, barbiturates, caffeine, cocaine, hallucinogens, marijuana, narcotics, and tobacco. Scores from standard MMPI scales, the MAC scale, and the SSS were examined in relation to individual drug use outcomes, and multivariate procedures were used to predict polydrug versus single drug use patterns. Results demonstrated significant and meaningful relationships between personality measures and drug use among adolescents, with consistently strong findings for the SSS.     

The relationship of MMPI and Sensation Seeking Scales to adolescent drug use

This study examined the relationship of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) measures, including the MacAndrew alcoholism (MAC) scale, and the Sensation Seeking Scales (SSS) to adolescents' drug use across nine drug categories. Subjects were 51 male and 72 female high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 (mean age = 16 years, 5 months). The drug use/abuse measure consisted of adolescents' self-reports on the Segal (1973) Alcohol-Drug Use Research Survey. Drug categories included for investigation were alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, caffeine, cocaine, hallucinogens, marijuana, narcotics, and tobacco. Scores from standard MMPI scales, the MAC scale, and the SSS were examined in relation to individual drug use outcomes, and multivariate procedures were used to predict polydrug versus single drug use patterns. Results demonstrated significant and meaningful relationships between personality measures and drug use among adolescents, with consistently strong findings for the SSS.     

Comparison of MMPI-2 and MMPI Clinical Scales and High-Point Scores Among Methadone Maintenance Clients

Methadone client volunteers completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI; Hathaway & McKinley, 1967) and MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) on consecutive days. MMPI2 T-scores were lower by a mean of 4.7 on the clinical scales; when 5 points were added to MMPI-2 T-scores the mean difference was 2.3. Rank order of subjects on scale T-scores was not significantly different between the two instruments. High-point similarity for clinically elevated profile pairs ranged from 61% to 92%, depending upon definition of similarity.     

The Influence of Elevated F Scales on the Validity of Adolescent MMPI Profiles

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories (MMPI) of adolescent outpatients were examined to determine whether characteristically elevated F scales indicated an exaggeration of psychopathology. A treatment condition designed to reduce the motivation to exaggerate psychopathology did not lower scores of the F and F-K indices when subjects were administered a second MMPI. Similarly, actuarial interpretations for the second protocols were not more frequently selected by therapists as more valid, regardless of treatment condition and elevation of the F and F-K indices on the first MMPI profile. Elevations of Scales F, Pd4, and Sc8 characterized the adolescent MMPI profiles.     

The MMPI-2 Clinical Scales and Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales: comparative psychometric properties and relative diagnostic efficiency in young adults

We examined the psychometric properties of the Restructured Clinical (RC) scales (Tellegen et al., 2003) of the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) in a large sample (N = 744) of 18-year-old college freshman. We found that the RC scales demonstrated good convergence with their Clinical scale counterparts and were more distinctive than the Clinical scales. The patterns of discriminant correlations for the RC scales were slightly clearer than those of the Clinical scales and a set of other existing MMPI-2 scales. Diagnostic efficiency statistics based on Clinical and RC scale elevation status did not differ appreciably. However, the diagnostic efficiency statistics of cutoff scores derived from mean RC and Clinical scale T scores improved on the traditional scale elevation measures. We consider the clinical implications of these findings.     

The Construct Validity of the MMPI Alexithymia Scale With Psychiatric Inpatients

Relatively few studies have addressed the issue of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) alexithymia scale's construct validity. In this study, the validity of the scale is supported by the finding of a significantly lower percentage of alexithymic individuals in a large sample of psychiatric inpatients than in samples of patients with a variety of physical disorders (i.e., migraine headaches, asthma bronchitis/emphysema, and hypertension). Validity of the scale is further supported through a comparison of the alexithymic and nonalexithymic psychiatric inpatients on a series of Rorschach and MMPI variables. As predicted, alexithymics were less verbally productive, displayed less ability to fantasize, and demonstrated greater defensive pseudonormality. Results suggest the measure may be of value in studies of psychiatric patients as well as those with physical disorders.     

Screening for Maladjustment in College Students: An Application of Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve to MMPI Scales

The ability of two scales derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to identify emotional maladjustment in a college setting was examined. The scales were the College Maladjustment scale (Mr) developed by Kleinmuntz (1961) and the Health Opinion Survey based Emotional Disorder scale (Ed). Emotional maladjustment was defined by criteria established in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) and assessed through a computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Subjects were 94 female and 62 male students, 51 of whom (33%) met criteria for at least one DSM-III-R disorder. Substance use disorders were most frequent (13.5%), followed by anxiety disorders (11.5%) and depressive disorders (7.1%). Both Mt and Ed had no relationship to substance use disorders but were moderately related to nonsubstance use maladjustment (r = ≈47); receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed, and Mt and Ed proved to be a fair-to-good indicator of nonsubstance use maladjustment. Types of decision errors are discussed, and tables provide information concerning predictive accuracy across the entire range of scores.