Incremental validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 and symptom checklist-90-revised with mental health inpatients

This study evaluated the incremental validity of scores from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a sample of mental health inpatients originally published by Archer, Griffin, and Aiduk (1995). The incremental validity of scores from the SCL-90-R primary symptom dimensions and MMPI-2 Clinical, Content, and Restructured Clinical scales was assessed in a sample of 544 mental health inpatients using conceptually related items from the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) as criteria. A series of hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that scores from the SCL-90-R primary symptom dimensions exhibited limited incremental validity (Mdn DeltaR(2) = .01, range = 0-.01), whereas scores from MMPI-2 scales contributed additional information in the prediction of ratings on all but one BPRS item (Mdn DeltaR( 2) = .08, range = .04-.12).     

Effect of symptom information and validity scale information on the malingering of depression on the MMPI-2

MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) data from college students who were attempting to malinger depression (199 women and 171 men) were compared to MMPI-2 data from students who responded honestly (50 women and 45 men). Mean MMPI-2 scores were compared with analyses of variance, and students' success in malingering depression was evaluated with criteria based on cutting scores for validity indexes and on the clinical scales commonly associated with depression. Students who were given information about the validity scales or about the symptoms of depression were more successful at malingering than students who received no information, indicating that malingerers of depression may be able to elude detection by the MMPI-2 if they are informed about the validity scales or the symptoms of depression.     

On the invalidity of validity scales: evidence from self-reports and observer ratings in volunteer samples

Because of the potential for bias and error in questionnaire responding, many personality inventories include validity scales intended to correct biased scores or identify invalid protocols. The authors evaluated the utility of several types of validity scales in a volunteer sample of 72 men and 106 women who completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; A. Tellegen, 1978/1982) and were rated by 2 acquaintances on the observer form of the NEO-PI-R. Analyses indicated that the validity indexes lacked utility in this sample. A partial replication (N = 1,728) also failed to find consistent support for the use of validity scales. The authors illustrate the use of informant ratings in assessing protocol validity and argue that psychological assessors should limit their use of validity scales and seek instead to improve the quality of personality assessments.     

Reliability and construct validity of the Japanese version of the interpersonal relationship inventory

The present study examined the psychometric characteristics of the three network function subscales (Social Support, Conflict, and Reciprocity) in the Japanese version of the Interpersonal Relationship Inventory. Data from Japanese college students (250 women and 218 men) were analyzed to estimate internal consistency (alphas = .93-.96) and test-retest reliability (rs = .69-.74). To assess construct validity, correlations between scores on the inventory and measures of social support, loneliness, and stress were performed. Results indicated that the Japanese version of the inventory was valid and reliable.     

Relations of intrinsic spirituality with health status and symptom interference

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between spiritual experience and current health status and between spiritual experience and subjective experience of symptom interference. Symptom interference is the extent to which symptoms of physical or psychological illness limited participants' activities of daily living. Participants were 49 volunteers who were enrolled in a spiritual fitness class at a variety of denominational Christian churches in Plano, Texas. The sample ranged in age from 22 to 65 years, and 84% were women. The Index of Core Spiritual Experiences and the Medical Symptoms Checklist were administered. Current health status and symptom interference were utilized from the self-report checklist. It was predicted that Index scores would be significantly different based on participants' health status and that Index scores would correlate significantly with participants' ratings of symptom interference. Analysis indicated that Index scores were significantly higher (p = .02) for participants with no current medical diagnosis than for those currently experiencing either a life-threatening or a chronic medical or psychological disorder. Also, the percentage-bend correlation between Index scores and scores for interference of symptoms in daily life was significant ((r)Pb = -.33, p = .02). These results suggest that the report of core spiritual experiences may be related to better current health status. These findings have implications for understanding the role of spirituality in the prevention of illness and in an individual's ability to cope with illness.     

Detecting symptom exaggeration in combat veterans using the MMPI-2 symptom validity scales: a mixed group validation

Although validity scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989) have proven useful in the detection of symptom exaggeration in criterion-group validation (CGV) studies, usually comparing instructed feigners with known patient groups, the application of these scales has been problematic when assessing combat veterans undergoing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) examinations. Mixed group validation (MGV) was employed to determine the efficacy of MMPI-2 exaggeration scales in compensation-seeking (CS) and noncompensation-seeking (NCS) veterans. Unlike CGV, MGV allows for a mix of exaggerating and nonexaggerating individuals in each group, does not require that the exaggeration versus nonexaggerating status of any individual be known, and can be adjusted for different base-rate estimates. MMPI-2 responses of 377 male veterans were examined according to CS versus NCS status. MGV was calculated using 4 sets of base-rate estimates drawn from the literature. The validity scales generally performed well (adequate sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency) under most base-rate estimations, and most produced cutoff scores that showed adequate detection of symptom exaggeration, regardless of base-rate assumptions. These results support the use of MMPI-2 validity scales for PTSD evaluations in veteran populations, even under varying base rates of symptom exaggeration.     

Preliminary evidence for validity of the Bahasa Indonesian version of Study Process Questionnaire

This study provides preliminary evidence for the validity of the Bahasa Indonesian version of the Study Process Questionnaire (BI-SPQ) from a sample of 147 psychology students (22 men and 125 women; M age = 21.8 yr., SD = 1.3). The internal consistency alpha of the BI-SPQ subscales were found to range from .46 (Surface Strategy) to .77 (Deep Strategy), with a median of .67. Principal component analysis indicated a two-factor solution, where the Deep and Achieving subscales loaded onto Factor 1 and the Surface subscales loaded on Factor 2. Students' GPAs were associated negatively with Surface Motive (r = -.24) and were associated positively with Deep and Achieving Motives (rs = .20). Further studies with larger samples involving students majoring in other disciplines are needed to provide further evidence of the validity of the BI-SPQ.     

Development and validation of a Response Bias Scale (RBS) for the MMPI-2

This study describes the development of a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) scale designed to detect negative response bias in forensic neuropsychological or disability assessment settings. The Response Bias Scale (RBS) consists of 28 MMPI-2 items that discriminated between persons who passed or failed the Word Memory Test (WMT), Computerized Assessment of Response Bias (CARB), and/or Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) in a sample of 1,212 nonhead-injury disability claimants. Incremental validity of the RBS was evaluated by comparing its ability to detect poor performance on four separate symptom validity tests with that of the F and F(P) scales and the Fake Bad Scale (FBS). The RBS consistently outperformed F, F(P), and FBS. Study results suggest that the RBS may be a useful addition to existing MMPI-2 validity scales and indices in detecting symptom complaints predominantly associated with cognitive response bias and overreporting in forensic neuropsychological and disability assessment settings.     

Divergent, criterion-related, and discriminant validities for the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale

Three analyses were carried out. Analysis I estimated the correlation between the total score of the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale and a self-rating scale of happiness with large sample of male (n = 1,312) and female (n = 1,272) Kuwaiti adolescents. Pearson product-moment correlations were -.43 and -.44 (p < .001) for boys and girls, respectively, suggesting divergent validity of the anxiety scale. Analysis II examined the correlations between scores on the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale and the Somatic Symptoms Inventory for a nonclinical sample of women (n = 30), and female outpatients with anxiety disorder (n = 30). Pearson product-moment correlations were, respectively, .85 and .53, (p < .001), which support the criterion-related validity of the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale with respect to the Somatic Symptoms Inventory. In Analysis III a sample of 60 male and female outpatients with anxiety disorder and 60 nonclinical participants were matched on age, education, and occupation. All responded individually to the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale. Significant differences among groups, especially noticeable for men, support the discriminant validity of the scale. So, the clinical as well as research use of the scale can be recommended. By and large, the divergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validities of the scale have been adequately supported so subsequent replication is expected.     

Evidence for the validity of the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire in a nonclinical population: more than just negative affectivity

This study examined the validity of the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ; Fairburn, Cooper, & Shafran, 2003) in a nonclinical sample of 61 men and 182 women. Consistent with expectations, we found that scores on the CPQ were positively associated with scores on common measures of maladjustment, namely, depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms, and stress. In addition, results from regression analyses indicated that the CPQ accounted for additional variance in each of the 3 indexes of maladjustment beyond what was accounted for by multidimensional perfectionism and negative affectivity. Accordingly, our findings provide promising support for the validity of the CPQ in a nonclinical population.     

Examining the construct validity of the Eating Disorder Inventory

The construct validity of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) was examined in 3 samples. An archival clinic sample (n = 318) of women completed the EDI, a structured interview, and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) indicated that neither null nor 1-factor models of the EDI fit item-level or item-parcel data. The proposed 8-factor model did not fit at the item level but did fit item-parcel data. Reliability estimates of the 8 scales ranged from .82 to .93, and low-to-moderate interscale correlations among the eating and weight-related scales provided partial support for convergent validity. EDI personality scales showed moderate interscale correlations and were associated with MCMI-II scales. A final CFA of the EDI scales supported a 2-factor model (Eating and Weight, Personality) of the 8 EDI scales. Strong associations between depression and several EDI scale scores were found in a treatment study sample (n = 50). The archival clinic sample scored significantly higher on the 8 EDI scales than the nonpatient college comparison sample (n = 487).     

Developing a screening instrument and at-risk profile for nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior in college women and men

Archival data (N = 1,048 women, 1,136 men) from a mental health survey of college students were used to investigate incidence of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), including cutting. Significant levels (defined as 4-5 lifetime incidents) were found in 9.3% of women and 5.3% of men. The Counseling Center Assessment for Psychological Symptoms (a global symptom inventory) and an assessment of trauma had been field tested with this sample. We randomly partitioned half of these data into a holdout sample and used the remainder to develop an NSSI screening inventory that included (a) 5 women's screening items, including 1 item to assess trauma experienced; (b) 11 men's screening items; and (c) 12 items common to men and women, including depression, dissociation, anger, unwanted thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks, and having witnessed trauma. Logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis suggested the inventory significantly discriminated NSSI men and women in the holdout sample, p < .001. Cutoff scores were identified to correctly classify about 48% of the true positive male and female NSSI cases, with false positive rates of 13.2% and 8.4% for women and men, respectively.     

Comparison of the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for men and women in an enterprising occupation

This study examined the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for men and women employed in an enterprising occupation. Using Holland-theme scores obtained from both the Self-Directed Search (SDS) and the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII), the degree of personality-environment correspondence and the relationships of personality type to job satisfaction were examined in a sample of 45 male and 43 female sales managers. In general, the findings suggested that, at least within an employed sample, Holland's theory is valid for women as well as for men. Using both the SDS and the SCII, women and men obtained their highest scores on the enterprising theme, and the mean E-theme scores of women were at least as high as were those of men. Significant sex differences on the Realistic, Artistic, and Social scales, found using SDS scores and SCII standard scores, were in the direction of generally-found sex differences. Both men and women were highly satisfied with their jobs, and moderate relationships between job satisfaction and enterprising and social scores were also found. While the results of this study suggest optimism regarding the theoretical and practical utility of Holland's theory for women as well as for men, differences in results as a function of different instruments and scoring methods suggest the need for further studies of this kind.     

Concurrent validity of the College Adjustment scales using comparison with the MMPI College Maladjustment Scale

The concurrent validity of the College Adjustment Scales was assessed using comparison to the College Maladjustment Scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory-2. Undergraduate students (N=56, 40 women, M age = 21.3 yr., 87.5% white, non-Hispanic) completed both tests. Analysis indicated scores on 8 of 9 College Adjustment Scales correlated significantly in the predicted direction with those on the College Maladjustment Scale, thereby providing some additional support for convergent validity. While the conclusions are limited significantly by the small sample, this report provides an incremental contribution to the validity of the College Adjustment Scales.     

Detection of deception on the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality: validation of the validity scales

This study used a simulation design to investigate the validity scales of the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP). Undergraduates (N=192) were randomly assigned to two positive distortion (PD) groups, two negative distortion (ND) groups, and a control group. Controls responded normally, whereas the deception groups responded according to assigned characters. Preliminary analyses indicated no significant differences within distortion valence; thus, the groups were collapsed into single PD (n=76), ND (n=79), and control groups (n=37). Mean-level analyses revealed that, consistent with previous studies, ND profiles are easier to detect than PD profiles. Cutoff scores were suggested, and the classification accuracy of these scores converged with the results of several discriminant function analyses to indicate that Rare Virtues and Deviance predict group membership at least as well as MMPI-2 validity scales. Structural analyses revealed that two moderately correlated factors-positive distortion and negative distortion-underlie scores on these validity scales.     

Convergent and discriminant validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale

The Marital Disillusionment Scale, together with measures of divorce proneness, marital disaffection, work addiction, sensation seeking, intimacy, and marital satisfaction (using the subscales Marital Disharmony and Disaffection), was administered to 116 married people (42 men, 74 women) in a university town in the western USA. Scores on the Marital Disillusionment Scale had significant positive correlations with scores on the Marital Instability Scale (r = .54), the Marital Disaffection Scale (r = .72), and the two subscales Disharmony (r = .53) and Disaffection (r = .75) of the eMarital Satisfaction Inventory. Scores for the Marital Disillusionment Scale were negatively correlated with those for the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Inventory (r = -.65) but were not significantly associated with scores for the Work Addiction Risk Test and the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale. The results support the convergent and discriminant validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale.     

Construct and concurrent validity of the Korean Career Indecision Inventory

Construct and concurrent validity of the Korean Career Indecision Inventory were examined. Data were collected from 238 South Korean college students. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the original five-factor model. As hypothesized, scores were significantly correlated with various variables such as scores on the Korean versions of the Career Decision Scale (r =.49), the Vocational Identity Scale in My Vocational Situation (r=-.63), the Career Decision-making Self-efficacy Scale (r=-.47), and Negative Affectivity (r=.37). These results support construct validity inventory. Students who indicated they were undecided about their careers had significantly higher scores than those who indicated they had decided on a career, supporting concurrent validity. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

Further exploration of the Vedic Personality Inventory: validity, reliability and generalizability

The purpose of this study was to explore the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the Vedic Personality Inventory which consists of constructs derived from the Vedic literature of India. There were 57 participants (20 men, 37 women). The mean age was 44.3 yr. (SD= 15.1). The sample was predominantly older, well-educated women who volunteered to participate as respondees to invitations to participate posted in supermarkets, churches, colleges, and on the internet. Analysis yielded statistically significant correlations for scores on the Vedic Personality Inventory and on the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale and the Brief Symptom Inventory, each of which measures domains of interest addressed by the first inventory.     

The reliability and validity of a measure of reported affinity for figurative language

Figurative language, as the linguistic expression of metaphoric thought, occupies a central place in the study of human cognition and creativity. This article describes four initial investigations of the reliability and validity of a measure of affinity for figurative language. In Study 1, a factor analysis of the Language Preference Report (LPR) yielded three orthogonally rotated components of affinity for figurative language: Liking to Produce Figurative Language, General Dislike of Figurative Language, and Liking to Study Texts Which Include Figurative Language. The factors, based on 540 responses, accounted for 73% of the total variance and were correlated with each other (absolute values between .55 and .36). Study 2, based on repeated administrations to 103 students at 2‐week intervals, investigated the reliability of the LPR Internal consistency estimates ranged from .92 to .84, and test‐retest reliability estimates ranged from .86 to .69. In Study 3, 39 students responded to both the LPR and the Similes Test. Participants’ Similes Test scores were significantly correlated with the LPR Production factor (r = .53, p < .001) and the Study factor (V = .36, p < .05). In Study 4, 79 students completed the LPR and later read 3000 words of text in which they were presented with 20 opportunities to choose figurative or literal sentence completions. The number of figurative completions chosen was significantly correlated with the LPR Dislike factor (r = ‐.65, p < .0001), the Study factor (r = .63, p <. 0001), and the Production factor (r = .50, p < .001). These findings support the conclusion that this measure of affinity for figurative language is sufficiently reliable and valid for researching individual differences in creativity, problem solving, language production, and learning from text.     

An examination of gender differences in the construct validity of the silencing the self scale

Jack’s (1991) theory of self-silencing was originally designed to explain higher rates of depression in women in comparison to men. However, research finding that men score equal or even higher than women on measures of self-silencing has lead theorists to speculate that self-silencing tendencies may be driven by different motivations and have different consequences for women versus men (Jack & Ali, 2010). Using a sample of 247 college students, we examined gender differences in the construct validity of the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS; Jack & Dill, 1992). We hypothesized that women would score higher on the Externalized Self-Perception subscale, but not the other three subscales. Gender differences in the relationship between the STSS subscales and theoretically-relevant constructs were also explored. The results indicated that women on average scored higher than men on the Externalized Self-Perception subscale, whereas men scored higher on the Care as Self-Sacrifice subscale. Further, there was a significant Gender × Care as Self-Sacrifice subscale interaction in the prediction of depression, such that this subscale was negatively correlated to depression in men, and uncorrelated in women. These results clarify how self-silencing might translate into different mental health outcomes for women and men.