The utility of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test in the detection of alcoholics and problem drinkers

This study examined the vulnerability of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), a widely used, direct alcohol inventory, to positive dissimulation. An earlier study by developers of the MAST suggested that most alcoholics were unable to alter their scores and thereby avoid detection by the instrument. But closer examination indicated that a standard scoring procedure was not employed. This study examined the ability of alcoholics to avoid detection by the MAST when using a standard scoring procedure. As predicted, alcoholics readily manipulated their MAST scores and avoided detection when so motivated. These results are discussed, indications and contraindications for use are included, and recommendations regarding future research are made.     

Clinical utility of the MMPI in the evaluation of adolescent suicide attempters

MMPI profiles of female adolescents hospitalized on a general pediatrics floor following a suicide attempt were compared to a control group of medically hospitalized, female adolescents referred for psychiatric evaluation. The suicide attempters had only a lower score on the K scale when compared to the control group. Results do not suggest that a single MMPI profile differentiates suicide attempters from a comparison group of adolescents with emotional difficulties. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Validity of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory in the assessment of affective disorders

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) was administered to 270 adult outpatients with major affective disorders at the same time that a semistructured, diagnostic interview was conducted by a clinician. The mood of the patient was then rated, and the clinician completed the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Mania Rating Scale. A consensual diagnosis was arrived at by the team of investigators using DSM-III criteria. Significant correlations were found between four MCMI affective scales and the global mood state of the patient. Analysis of covariance indicated that the MCMI affective scales are significantly related to DSM-III affective disorders even after the effect of the current mood of the patient is partialled out. The clinical usefulness of each of the scales is discussed.     

A comparison of two measures of egocentrism

This study examined the relationship between two prominent measures of egocentrism, Enright's Adolescent Egocentrism Scale (AES) and Elkind's Imaginary Audience Scale (IAS), in a sample of 458 adolescents, between 10 and 15 years old. Both correlational and factor analyses indicated that the two measures assess distinctly different phenomena. As predicted, IAS scores were correlated with self-reported levels of shyness, nervousness, and social skills. These results provide partial evidence for the validity of the IAS as a measure of self-consciousness, though not necessarily egocentrism per se. The validity of the AES was not examined.     

Gender-bound definitions of mental health

Fifteen male and 15 female American therapists-in-training (clinical and counseling psychology graduate students) were asked to take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) under each of two instructional sets. In one set, they were instructed to respond to the items as a healthy male would respond, and in the other, as a healthy female would respond. The MMPI profiles obtained from male and female subjects were not significantly different, indicating that these male and female therapists-in-training did not differ in their perceptions of healthy men and women. When the data for male and female subjects were combined, however, healthy women were perceived differently than healthy men on several scales, although the MMPI profiles obtained under both instructional sets were well within normal limits.     

Comparison of response formats for Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales: six levels versus two levels

Two formats of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales were administered to 54 college students. Each subject completed the MHLC Scales in the standard 6-level response format (ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree) and in a revised 2-level format (ranging from disagree to agree). Comparisons of internal consistency measures, principal components, and classification of subjects into groups indicate that the 2-level response format yields comparable data to those obtained with the 6-level format, particularly when classification of subjects is the goal.     

The MMPI and clinical diagnosis: a comparison of classification system outcomes with discharge diagnoses

This study examined the agreement or congruence rate between clinical-discharge diagnoses rendered by a psychiatrist, and admission and discharge MMPI-derived diagnoses from four diagnostic classification systems that have been developed for the MMPI. The four classification systems included a simple high-point code based on the most elevated clinical scale in the profile, the Henrichs revision of the Meehl-Dahlstrom rules, the Goldberg equations, and a system developed by Lachar. Subjects consisted of 150 patients selected from a larger pool of patients who had completed a 9-week adult residential treatment program. Overall, this study yielded modest hit rates between 26% and 34% for MMPI-derived diagnoses and psychiatric diagnoses across the various classification systems. In addition, stability of MMPI-based diagnoses from admission to discharge assessments ranged from 48% to 51% depending on the classification system employed. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the use of the MMPI in patient diagnosis. It is recommended that the MMPI be used in conjunction with other sources of clinical and test information in deriving clinical diagnoses.     

Children's preference for challenge: the role of perceived competence and control

This research tested the hypothesis that children's perceptions of academic competence and their personal control over school-related performance affects subsequent intrinsic interest and preference for challenge in an evaluative setting. In a correlational study, children's self-reported perceptions of academic competence and personal control were found to relate positively to their intrinsic interest in schoolwork and preference for challenging school activities. A subset of this sample was exposed to varying levels of a controlling directive, and preference for challenge was assessed behaviorally during a free-choice period in which subjects were unaware that they were being observed. As predicted, the data indicated that when given the evaluative, controlling directive, children who had high perceptions of academic competence and control preferred a greater challenge than did children whose perceptions were low on these measures. No difference between groups in terms of preference for challenge was evident when no controlling directive was presented. These findings are discussed in terms of theories of intrinsic motivation and potential processes that underly these effects.     

The evolution of human intrasexual competition: tactics of mate attraction

Darwin's theory of sexual selection suggests that individuals compete with members of their own sex for reproductively relevant resources held by members of the opposite sex. Four empirical studies were conducted to identify tactics of intrasexual mate competition and to test four evolution-based hypotheses. A preliminary study yielded a taxonomy of tactics. Study 1 used close-friend observers to report performance frequencies of 23 tactics to test the hypotheses. Study 2 replicated Study 1's results by using a different data source and subject population. Study 3 provided an independent test of the hypotheses in assessing the perceived effectiveness of each tactic for male and female actors. Although the basic hypotheses were supported across all three studies, there were several predictive failures and unanticipated findings. Discussion centers on the heuristic as well as predictive role of evolutionary theory, and on implications for other arenas of intrasexual competition.