Psychiatric Patients' Responses to MMPI Religion Items

Responses of Jewish and Protestant psychiatric Ss to 10 MMPI religion items were found to differ in the manner expected on the basis of Jewish and Protestant normals' ratings of the unfavorability of item endorsement. Education and private vs. public hospitalization were independently associated with item rejection rate. However, sex of S and psychotic vs. non-psychotic diagnosis were not related to item rejection. The differential response rate of Jewish and Protestant patients provides validity generalization for Gynther, Gray and Strauss' (1970) conclusion that social desirability values of MMPI items vary with relevant subject background characteristics as well as with item content.